Lyra Casino Review

Lyra Casino is a relatively new addition to the online casino business. The site went live in the middle of 2021, as the newest addition to the group of online casinos operated by DMG Solutions B.V. Like other DMG-owned casinos, Lyra is licensed by the Curacao eGaming authorities in the Caribbean. 

Some clues about the casino can be gleaned from its name itself. Lyra means “brave” in Nordic languages. And the casino has a strong focus on the region – the site is available in Finnish and Norwegian languages. Other languages of Lyra Casino include English (Global/EU) and French (Canada). 

The games are probably the best feature of this casino. You get titles from over 50 software providers, which is quite a lot in online casino circles. The list includes all the major names like Netent, Quickspin, and Betsoft. The game categories are all covered – you get slots, progressive jackpots, classic slots, table games, and also live dealer games.  

Some popular slots you can play at Lyra Casino are – Starburst, Book of Oz, Piggy Riches, Wild Swarm, Maradona Hyperways, and Great Rhino. The total number of slots at this casino would easily go above 2000. And if you are into card/roulette games, the live casino has another 60+ game rooms covering all the classic games in full HD! 

Since Lyra Casino is brand new, we cannot give a reliable rating regarding its reputation. There are next to no complaints online about this casino. It takes time for forums to fill up with such information. We will have to wait another year at the very least before we can draw a reliable conclusion regarding the reputation of Lyra Casino. 

That said, we can give a temporary rating based on the facts on the table. Given the amazing game selection, excellent web design, licensing, ZAR support, SA-focused bonuses, and other terms and banking methods (more on them below), we feel like a score of 7/10 is adequate for Lyra Casino. 

Since there are no EU licenses, phone support, or fast 24-hour withdrawals, we had to shave off a few points from the board. If you can live with those issues, Lyra Casino is well worth a visit if you are a South African player.

Lyra Casino Bonuses 

Lyra Casino has a minimalist approach as far promotions and bonus offers are concerned. But since this is a new casino, it is not a major con – we expect the casino operators will add new offers as time goes by. On the plus side, the casino bonuses are open to players from South Africa, starting with a massive R7500 welcome bonus:

Lyra Casino Welcome Bonus

The Welcome Offer for new players at Lyra Casino promises a 200% boost on your first deposit. You can claim up to R7500 if you deposit R3750 at the casino. The bonus comes with a low wagering requirement of 30X. 

An important thing to note – the casino will only release the bonus funds once you complete the wagering requirement with your deposit money. You can make further deposits if you run out of the initial funds. This is quite an unusual take on the concept of welcome bonuses. 

The minimum deposit required to trigger this offer is €20 or approximately R375. You cannot claim this bonus if the deposit was made through the following payment methods – Skrill, Neteller, Paysafecard. Instant EFT is available as a convenient payment method for SA players.

You must complete the wagering requirement within 3 days, which is a bit on the lower side. Keep this in mind if you are depositing high amounts like R3750. You can check the progress of your wagering on a live reward tracker. 

How to Use the Lyra Casino Welcome Bonus:

Due to its unusual design, we feel there is a need to properly explain how the Welcome Bonus at Lyra Casino works. In usual casinos, you get x amount as welcome bonus funds as soon as you make your first deposit. But it does not work like that here. 

Instead, you have to first make your deposit and complete the wagering requirement. If deposit R1000, your 200% bonus will be R2000. You now have to use the R1000 to place bets until you reach the wagering target of R60,000. (30 X R2000) 

Once you place bets worth R60,000 at the casino, your bonus funds will be released to your account. These funds will be in the form of real cash. If your R1000 runs dry, you can make further deposits to reach your wagering requirement. 

Lyra Casino No Deposit Bonus

At the time of this review, Lyra Casino did not offer any no deposit bonus to new players. If the casino starts such a promotional offer, we will update accordingly. 

Lyra Casino Minimum Deposit for Bonus

To claim a bonus offer at Lyra Casino, you have to deposit a minimum amount of cash. Unless otherwise specified in the bonus terms, the minimum deposit required to trigger a bonus is €20 (R344). 

Lyra Casino Free Spins

To the best of our knowledge, Lyra Casino does not offer any free spins, either as a no deposit bonus, as part of the welcome offer or as a standalone deposit bonus for regular players. This is quite surprising, as the casino has over 2000 slots. We fully expect Lyra Casino to add a free spin bonus to the promotions page within a year. 

Lyra Casino Daily Cashback

This is a 10% daily cashback on losses offer available solely to slot players at Lyra Casino. If you play table games/live dealer games and lose, this offer will not apply to you. To trigger the cashback, you must have less than R75 in your account at the end of the day – 12:00 CET. 

The great thing here is that the cashback is awarded in real cash, not as bonus funds. So there is no wagering requirement – you can opt to withdraw it to your bank if you should wish to do so. If you claim any bonus/place withdrawal requests, the amounts will be deducted from the cashback calculations. 

Lyra Seasonal Slots Tournaments

The casino regularly hosts leaderboard tournaments for slots players. These events may last for several months, like the entire Holiday period (November to January) in some instances. The total prize pool can go into the millions of rands, with multiple rounds and cash prizes for winners in each round! 

Lyra Casino’s website does not mention anything about loyalty rewards, VIP bonuses, or anything of that sort. We believe that the casino does not have any VIP program – but this is not a permanent assessment by any means. 

Since this is a brand new casino launched in 2021, we have to give Lyra Casino the benefit of time. They will probably add additional features like comp points, loyalty rewards, and VIP programs once they gain some traction in the market. 

And when that happens, we will update this space appropriately.

Lyra Casino Games 

The best thing about Lyra Casino is its game selection. They have opted to go big here – with over 2000 games and slots from 50 different providers, there is something here for any kind of player! 

There is also a handy search tab if you want to look for specific game titles. For players who just want to go straight to their preferred categories, the Lyra Casino games page offers quick links to different categories. 

Let’s now take a closer look at some of these categories: 

Popular Games

This page has 160 of the most commonly played games at Lyra Casino. You can browse through the slots and games preferred by other players and visitors of the casino here. Some of the standout titles include Big Bass Bonanza, Wolf Power, Midnight Show, Origins of Lilith, and Book of Horror. 

New Games

For a quick look at the latest additions to the casino, pay a visit to this page at least once a week. Lyra Casino keeps adding new games and slots often! At the time of this review, we found games like Gonzo’s Gold, Curse of the Pharaoh, Wanted – Dead or a Wild, Mega Moolah – The Witches Moon, and Well of Wilds! 

Slots

Just scanning through the entire list of slots at Lyra Casino will set you back by a few minutes! We stopped counting once the number of games crossed 2000! With so many options, you are guaranteed to find a theme that you like. If you want licensed slots, Lyra Casino has a ton of titles based on movies/series/bands like Narcos, Guns & Roses, Game of Thrones, Jurassic Park, and Ozzy Osborne. 

Classic Slots

This is a small collection of classic 3-reel fruit games. You get around 25+ slots, with titles like Cherry Trio, Arcade, Vegas Reels II, and Booming Seven. Incidentally, all the slots here are from a single provider – Wazdan. 

Table Games

Lyra Casino has around 120 games in this particular category. You can play digital versions of card games like blackjack, baccarat, punto banco, Texas Hold Em poker, and Caribbean poker. Other casino games like roulette, craps, sic bo, keno, and bingo are also available.

Live Casino

This is an exciting section of the casino that allows you to play against a live human dealer, just like at a land-based casino. You can place bets in real-time based on live video streaming from studios like Evolution Gaming, Vivo Gaming, Ezugi, and Pragmatic Play. Apart from the usual selection of casino games – blackjack, roulette, baccarat, poker, you can also place bets on exciting game shows like Mega Wheel, Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt, and Dream Catcher. 

Progressive Jackpots

Lyra Casino does not have a section dedicated to jackpots. Nor do they advertise the availability of big progressive slots anywhere on the website. But you can find huge jackpots from the famous Mega Moolah series at this casino. But you have to search for them in the slots section. We hope the casino creates a dedicated page for million-dollar progressive jackpots since there is a clear market for these games among the players. 

Lyra Casino Games for Free

If you don’t want to spend any cash right from the get-go at Lyra Casino, you do have an option for free play. Just hover your mouse pointer over any game title at the casino and you will see an option for “demo play” appear. If you are on a mobile phone, tap on the game icon to reveal this mode. 

It allows you to bet on the games using fake/virtual coins. Since you are not placing any real cash bets, you will obviously not win any money if the reels spin in your favor. Also, you cannot use this mode to play live dealer games. But you can try out progressive jackpots using demo play. 

The purpose of this mode is to give you a free unlimited sample of the gaming experience you can expect when you join Lyra Casino. You don’t need an account to play in demo mode – however, if you want to deposit cash, claim bonuses, and win real money, you have to create a new player account. 

Lyra Casino Games for Real Money

All the games available at Lyra Casino are proper gambling games from licensed and reputed software developers. You can place cash bets on them all – in fact, you cannot play them properly without placing deposits at the casino. 

And if you get winning hands or combos on the games with real bets, the winnings will be added to your casino balance as real money. You may transfer these funds from the casino to your bank account by placing a withdrawal request. 

But if you are from South Africa, do note that the games at Lyra Casino will accept bets in ZAR. You can deposit in the national currency at this casino. There is no need to convert it to Euros or USD! 

Lyra Casino Games with the Best Odds

If you want to enjoy the best player odds at Lyra Casino, there is only one real choice – blackjack games. You can find them in the table games and live casino sections. As long as you know all the rules and follow the optimal strategy, you can enjoy odds as high as 99.5% RTP on classic blackjack games. 

If you are a slots player, you will have to check out the RTP ratings – they can vary between 92% to 98%. Check the official pages of individual providers to find the high-RTP slots and search for these at Lyra Casino. For example, Mega Joker from Netent has an RTP of 99% and it is available at Lyra Casino! 

Lyra Casino Games that Require Skill

You don’t need any skill or experience to play the games in the slots and classic slots categories at Lyra Casino. The same also goes for roulette games. These are all games that are easy to win – all you need to do is pick a bet size and place it on one of the available options. 

But if you want to take advantage of the high player odds on games like blackjack, baccarat, and poker, you will need to have some skill, knowledge about the rules, and advanced strategies. You can play them as a beginner, but you will face a higher risk of losses.  

Lyra Casino Lobby 

The casino lobby is the main area where you can browse through all the games and slots. You can find a copy of the lobby on the welcome page when you visit the casino for the first time. Once you register and sign into your account, you will always land first on the lobby page. 

The lobby at Lyra Casino is an absolute joy to use – you can easily browse through the massive game library thanks to the excellent design and optimization. Below each game icon, you will find the name of the provider  – an essential feature that is sadly ignored by many online casinos. 

They also have an entire page dedicated to providers – you can find a list of all 50+ brands, each name followed by a small selection of their best games, and a link to the full catalog of individual providers for maximum convenience. 

Lyra Casino Mobile 

Since Lyra Casino was launched in 2021, it is 100% mobile-friendly. You can fully enjoy Lyra Casino mobile in South Africa on your iPhone or Android device. You will need a WiFi or 4G network connection to play the games. 

As for the mode of play, there is no Lyra casino mobile app, either on iOS or Android stores. Instead, you have to visit the website on your browser and log in to play. The Lyra Casino has a mobile responsive lobby that works exceedingly well on all touchscreen devices. 

All bonuses and promotions remain the same across all devices – this is the standard followed by all modern online casinos. Lyra Casino mobiles bonuses are identical to the ones available to PC players. 

All other services and features remain identical on mobile. Lyra Casino free play on mobile is possible via the demo mode, as explained earlier. You may also make deposits, contact customer service, make withdrawal requests, and more on mobile. 

Lyra Casino Download 

Lyra Casino does not have any download option. The instant online website is the only way to access the casino and play the games. It uses modern HTML5 technology to run flawlessly on all devices and platforms. 

Lyra Casino App

The biggest branded casinos have separate mobile apps for iOS and Android mobile users. You can download these from the AppStore, Play Store, or directly from the website of the casino. But Lyra Casino does not have such an option, as it is an online casino operated by a relatively small operator. 

Lyra Casino Customer Support 

Lyra Casino has a customer support system that can be considered relatively adequate or competent when compared to similar-sized casinos. It is not exceptional in our books, because the casino does not have a phone support system or 24×7 live support. 

Instead, you can reach the customer executive agents between the hours 9:00 to 17:00 CEST, Monday to Friday, on the following channels/modes:

• Live Chat on the website (only for registered customers)
• Email at support@lyracasino.com (reply within 24 hours on weekdays)
• Leave a message on the website (for new visitors)

Overall, we found the customer service to be relatively pleasant and polite. But expect delays if you ask a query on the weekends. There is definitely plenty of room for improvement here, regarding availability and speed of response. 

Lyra Casino Terms & Conditions 

The Lyra Casino terms and conditions page is extremely detailed and thorough – this is the hallmark of a reliable online casino. They have provided full contact details for the owner/operator of the casino. You can find information related to restricted jurisdictions, restricted games, and more. 

For instance, South African players are welcome to create accounts and place real money bets at this casino. However, games from providers like Microgaming and Pragmatic Play are restricted, along with several others – you can find the details on the T&C page. 

Another thing of note for SA players is the absence of any information regarding ZAR support. EUR is the default currency of the casino. All bonus/withdrawal/deposit information across the site is mentioned in EUR. 

However, ZAR is fully supported at Lyra Casino. You have the option to pick ZAR as your preferred currency during the registration process. Other supported currencies include CAD, USD, NZD, and NOK. 

Lyra Casino Bonus Terms & Conditions

Lyra Casino has some excellent bonus terms, like a low wagering requirement of 30x on all offers, 5x wagering on deposit-free spins, etc. The maximum winnings that can be withdrawn from any no deposit bonus offered by the casino is R750. With all other bonuses, this limit is set at R15,000. 

Any bonus winnings above the R15,000 limit will be removed and cancelled by the casino. Bonus withdrawals will only be allowed after players make at least one minimum cash deposit and wager that amount once (1x wagering requirement). 

Lyra Casino Winnings Withdraw Terms and Conditions 

The casino requires a minimum withdrawal request amount of €50 (R860). The casino will take 1-3 days to process such requests. Withdrawals are generally sent to the same payment method/account/card used to make deposits. 

The maximum weekly withdrawal limit at Lyra Casino is €10,000 (R172,000). The monthly limit is €40,000 (R688,600). Compared to some other online casinos, these are perfectly acceptable limits indeed. Higher withdrawals above these limits will be split into monthly installments. 

Lyra Casino Minimum Deposit Terms and Conditions

The minimum deposit specified for most bonuses at Lyra Casino is €20 (R344). You can deposit a maximum of €5000 (R86,000) in one transaction at the casino. The per-day deposit limit is €15000 (R258,200). All deposits must be made using payment methods/accounts owned by the player in their name. 

Lyra Casino Safety 

Lyra Casino does not have any major flaws as far as online security is concerned. The website uses industry-standard SSL encryptions to keep all data transmissions between the player and the casino fully secure. 

Further, the site has other advanced features like backups, anti-virus/anti-malware, firewalls, and fully encrypted cloud servers for the games. They don’t store any payment/credit card information on the Lyra website. 

The casino also has a fully detailed privacy policy and data security page. It has all pertinent information regarding personal data collected and shared by the casino. Overall, Lyra Casino looks and sounds like a trusted and safe online casino.  

Lyra Casino Login & Registration 

The registration process is fairly straightforward at Lyra Casino. They use the same format used at many online casinos. It has the following steps that you can follow on PC or mobile: 

1. Visit the casino website on your PC/mobile browser
2. Click/tap the “Register” button on the top right corner
3. Fill the first form with your email id, a password, and your mobile number
4. Accept the casino terms (enter a tick into the box) and click “Confirm”
5. In step 2, enter your personal details like full name, age, and contact address
6. Click on the “Register” button
7. In the final step, the casino will send an SMS with a verification code to your mobile number – enter it in the box provided to finish the registration process

As soon as your number is verified, the casino will automatically create your account and log you in – congratulations! You can now place deposits and claim the welcome bonus at Lyra Casino! 

Placing Your First Bet at Lyra Casino Online 

Lyra Casino does not have any attached online sportsbook. You cannot place any bets on live sports games at this casino. 

Lyra Casino Payout Rate 

Lyra Casino does not guarantee fast/same-day withdrawals to players. Depending on your preferred payment method, it can take anywhere from 24 hours to 7 days or more for your money to leave the casino and reach your bank account or wallet.

Placing a withdrawal request is relatively easy. Don’t forget to comply with any request from the casino team for KYC or security verification documents – this can further delay the withdrawals if you fail to upload the documents on time. 

Lyra Casino Win Rate 

Unfortunately, no information regarding the Lyra Casino win rate is available anywhere online. The casino does not provide any stats regarding this aspect on its pages. 

Lyra Casino Odds 

In online gambling, odds refers to your likelihood of winning, based on how much chance is there of something happening in your favor. It is usually used in sports betting – referring to the chances of your team winning a match, for example. Since Lyra Casino does not have a sportsbook, we cannot comment much on the casino odds.  

How Lyra Casino Compares to Similar Casinos

Lyra has three sister sites owned by DMG Solutions BV. They are Hey Casino, Moi Casino, and Yaa Casino. Apart from stark differences in appearance/theme, these casinos all share some common features. They include a Curacao license, SA players accepted, similar bonuses, and a nearly identical game library. They all offer a thrilling online gambling experience, be it on mobile or PC. 

Accepted Withdrawal Methods 

At Lyra Casino, you can pick from a wide range of different payment methods. The casino lists at least 20 different options for deposits – however, don’t expect them all to work in South Africa! Many of the payment options are focused on specific regions or countries. 

The list includes credit cards, e-wallets, prepaid cards, online banking, and more. The casino is also quite crypto-friendly – it accepts bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin all via Coinspaid. Take a look at the table to learn more about SA-friendly payment methods at Lyra Casino: 

How to Make a Withdrawal at Lyra Casino

Placing a deposit at a casino is straightforward. However, making a withdrawal request is a whole different ball game. At Lyra Casino, you can make an instant request for withdrawal after winning only under the following circumstances: 

• You have not recently claimed or used a bonus 
• You don’t have any pending wagering requirements from old bonuses

If you have indulged in bonus play, you can only place a legal withdrawal request after fulfilling the wagering requirements. This may take anywhere from a few minutes to a day or two, depending on the size of the bonus claimed.

Once you have fulfilled all bonus wagering terms, you can place a cashout request on the Withdrawals page of the casino. The casino will take up to 3 days to process this request. If you use a fast withdrawal method like bitcoin/e-wallet, you can expect to get paid in 1-3 days. If using a credit card or banking, expect this process to take 5-7 days. 

Why Do South African Players Love Lyra Casino 

There are two main reasons why South African players should consider Lyra Casino – full ZAR support and an amazing game selection. The casino also has an excellent SA friendly welcome bonus. You can play some of the top slots from Netent at this casino. They also have a superb selection of live dealer games. 

Other features like web design, mobile support, bitcoins, and a safe and secure online gaming experience are additional reasons. But the lack of phone support and VIP programs are serious flaws. The slow payouts and limited customer support also have the potential to create problems. 

On the whole, Lyra Casino feels like a work in progress, not the finished article. This is a brand-new online casino with some compelling features. We feel it should be given a few months/years to iron out some of the kinks. If you can tolerate the cons mentioned in this review, you might be able to have an amazing time at Lyra Casino.