Balatro is certainly habit-forming, but there's nothing to be won or lost, other than time, by playing it. While the game has you using standard playing cards and poker hands as part of its base mechanics, it does not have in-app purchases, loot boxes, or any kind of online play or enticement to gambling, beyond the basics of risk and reward.
Balatro, a poker-inspired roguelike from LocalThunk and Playstack, is set to launch on mobile on September 26, marking its entry into the mobile gaming arena.