Balatro University’s videos hit by YouTube’s age-restriction policy
The popular Balatro-focused YouTube channel, Balatro University, has reported multiple videos being age-restricted due to alleged depictions of gambling, despite the fact that Balatro isn’t a gambling game.
Overview of YouTube’s policy change
On 19 March 2025, YouTube revised its terms of service by implementing stricter provisions against content promoting or showing online casino websites or apps. The purpose was to restrict the availability of gambling content to minors.
However, this general policy seems to have inadvertently ensnared Balatro’s content. When a video is age-restricted, it becomes more difficult to find through YouTube’s algorithm. This can significantly impact ad revenue and engagement, particularly for gaming channels that focus on specific niches.
Balatro University: Victim of YouTube’s new policy
Balatro University, with almost 90,000 subscribers on YouTube, discovered some of its videos marked as age-restricted under the new policy. This move hits the channel directly in terms of visibility and revenue, making it difficult for videos to appear on recommended feeds.
“If YouTube wants to age-restrict gambling content, I think that’s a really positive change,” said Balatro University. “But YouTube really needs to make up its mind: is Balatro content gambling content?”
Balatro is a roguelike deck-building game that borrows aesthetic elements from poker but does not feature real-money gambling. No online casinos, wagers, or actual money bets are involved. It is purely a strategy game, similar to other deck-builders.
YouTube’s content moderation largely relies on AI. This system often misclassifies content, as seen with Balatro. The same issue occurred when PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) initially rated Balatro 18+, only to revise it to PEGI 12 upon appeal.
Balatro creator’s response
LocalThunk, the creator of Balatro, expressed frustration on Bluesky, sarcastically remarking how children are being “protected” from learning about poker hands while still being exposed to Counter-Strike case-opening videos.
He wrote on Bluesky, “Apparently Balatro videos are being rated 18+ on YouTube now for gambling. Good thing we are protecting children from knowing what a four of a kind is and letting them watch CS case opening videos instead.”
PEGI 18 controversy
Prior to the YouTube issue, Balatro had been misclassified by PEGI as 18+, leading to its removal from some digital stores. After an appeal, the rating was lowered to PEGI 12, highlighting yet another instance of misunderstanding the game’s mechanics.
“The Complaints Board concluded that, although the game explains the various hands of poker, the roguelike deck-building game contained mitigating fantastical elements that warranted a PEGI 12 rating,” reads PEGI’s statement on the new classification.
Problem with YouTube’s appeal process
A particularly frustrating aspect of this situation is YouTube’s inconsistent application of the rule. Only a sixth of Balatro University’s videos were marked for removal, raising questions about how the AI identifies violations.
YouTube’s appeal process is notoriously opaque. Creators have trouble getting a human decision, instead being left in a never-ending cycle of bot rejections. Other games have suffered similarly, from Hearthstone to Slay the Spire. The AI moderation system continues to struggle to distinguish between gambling-adjacent visuals and real gambling. These restrictions create challenges for indie game developers and content creators, discouraging coverage of certain games due to fears of misclassification.
