Overview
Launched in 2020 by the casino experts Genesis Gaming, Casino Lab bursts onto an online gaming scene where it looks increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd. At first glance, though, Casino Lab seems to have all the ingredients to make an impression. It boasts a snazzy design and unique theme, one of the largest collections of games found anywhere online (over 1500 titles) and a massive welcome bonus. We did pinpoint a few minor criticisms in our detailed review, but Casino Lab looks to have discovered the formula needed to be a top online casino in Ireland.
Safety and Trustworthiness
Having a global brand behind a casino doesn’t guarantee the best casino experience online, but it can certainly help to know that the operator has built some kind of reputation. Genesis Global Ltd – the operator of Casino Lab – is fast becoming one of the world’s biggest online gaming specialists, and it is developing a reputation for trust and fairness. It operates more than 12 other sites across Ireland and Europe, and players have largely embraced the company’s products.
As for the site security, Casino Lab is run on secure software with robust firewall protection. The site details its encryption measures with the latest TLS secure 128-bit encryption used to protect transactions over the internet. Casino Lab doesn’t release public audits for its games, but individual RTP figures are available for each game on the site. Only reputable casino software developers are used to provide the games, so we would be confident that Casino Lab offers fair gaming.
Casino Lab is a new online casino site, so there has not been much feedback available yet from Irish players or others. From what we have seen so far, though, the reception is positive, with most reviewers praising the game selection and substantial welcome bonus.
Deposits & Withdrawals
All popular methods of payment are covered at Casino Lab, including cards, e-wallets, top-up cards and mobile payments. Withdrawal times seem to be reasonably swift with short processing times. However, Casino Lab charges a 2% transaction fee for withdrawals.
Bonuses
Casino Lab has a multi-stage welcome bonus for new players registering in Ireland, consisting of free spins and bonus cash, or a live casino bonus. The first stage of the bonus offers 300 free spins plus 100% matched on your first deposit up to €300. A minimum deposit of €10 is required to activate the Casino Lab new player offer. The next stages of the sign-up bonus consist of 50% matched up to €400 on your second deposit, then 25% matched up to €300 on your second and third deposits. No promo code is necessary for the first bonus, but you should enter codes WCL2, WCL3 and WLC4 to get the matched deposit bonuses.
If you wish, you can skip the welcome package and opt instead for a live casino bonus. When depositing for the first time, choose “live casino bonus” from the drop-down menu. You will be offered a 100% matched deposit bonus up to €100, with the bonus funds specifically to use on live casino games.
There’s a bit to unpack with the new player bonuses, so let’s breakdown the important parts of the terms and conditions. All bonuses are subject to a 40X wagering requirement. So, if you take a €50 bonus, you’ll need to play through €2000 to make a withdrawal. A 40X wagering requirement is just about average for the industry. The free spins are released in increments of 30 each day for the first 10 days of your membership. You’ll need to play €5 each day to activate each batch of free spins. All withdrawals from free spins are capped at €100.
Overall, we’d put this up there among the best casino bonuses for new players available right now. Yes, the terms and conditions can feel like a bit of a minefield, but they are pretty fair. We also like the fact you can choose a bonus for the live casino tables if that is your preference. In short, a strong effort from Casino Lab.
*Deposits using Skrill and Neteller are not eligible for the welcome bonuses at Casino Lab.
Game Selection
Before diving into a discussion of the huge game selection at Casino Lab, a quick note on the site theme, design and layout. Casino Lab has tried to do something different, theming it on a scientist’s lab and introducing you to different characters. That can come off a bit cheesy at times, after all, we’re all adults here, but it’s refreshing to see an operator try something new. The site itself looks great, with nice animations and clever design. Functionality is strong, although we did detect a little bugginess when trying to load some pages. Nevertheless, games are easy to find and there is some smart compartmentalisation in the layout – a must with so many casino titles to choose from.
As for the games, they are provided by some of the top casino software developers on the planet. The selection includes a massive variety from NetEnt, Microgaming, BTG, Push, Play N’ Go, Red Tiger, Yggdrasil and Skywind. A rundown of popular slots on the site includes Bonanza, Book of Dead, Reel King, Razor Shark, Twin Spin, Dead or Alive, Piggy Riches and Thunderstruck II. We are also pleased to see that Casino Lab has a fine selection of Megaways games, including Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Megaways and Gonzo’s Quest. A trend embraced by several leading casino developers, Megaways has quickly become the most popular genre of casino games, and it’s nice to see Casino Lab has its finger on the pulse here. An ample choice of jackpot slots is also available, with a few dozen titles including the ever popular Mega Moolah.
Traditional table and card games are well represented on the site, with various different options for roulette, blackjack, baccarat and hold’em poker. You’ll find around half a dozen video poker games, and some online scratchcards and arcade games. The live casino is powered by NetEnt Live and Evolution Gaming, both of which are regarded (alongside Playtech) as the world leaders in live dealer casino games. You’ll find tables for blackjack, poker, roulette, baccarat and a few unique games running around the clock.
Mobile App
There isn’t yet an official mobile casino app for Casino Lab. But many other casino sites run by Genesis Gaming do offer apps, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see one arrive soon. As it stands though, Casino Lab is optimised for mobile and you can play games instantly on tablet and smartphone. There really isn’t a discernible difference between the mobile and desktop site, and you’ll still get access to the full complement of 1500+ games and all promotions wherever you play. In addition, the Casino Lab mobile site has nice design and functionality. We tend to prefer a mobile app for casinos, but Casino Lab mobile is almost as good as an app.
Promotions
The main focus of Casino Lab’s promotions centres around weekly reload bonuses and free spins. As long as you have deposited €20 within a seven-day period, you’ll be offered a weekly 25% boost on your deposit up to €100. Casino Lab will also throw in 10 free spins to use on popular slots like Starburst, Jumanji or Gonzo’s Quest. You can also opt for a monthly deposit bonus (available at any time) to get a further 25% boost to your next deposit. All bonuses carry the same 40X wagering requirements.
Other casino bonuses and promotions seem to be a bit thin on the ground at Casino Lab. It’s a new casino site, and it sometimes takes a while to build an ecosystem of casino promos and prize giveaways, so hopefully more will be added soon. In particular, we’d like to see a loyalty scheme added to the site to reward players for playing at Casino Lab. Genesis Gaming sites do promote VIP services, and you can get further information on the site regarding the benefits. From what we see, there is an opportunity for better bonuses, personal account managers, giveaways and other goodies. We’d recommend you contact them via email after signing up if you fancy yourself to be a high roller.
Support
Casino Lab runs 24/7 customer support through live chat, and there are also options to contact the team by email and telephone. A FAQ centre can also answer some questions. Casino Lab does not seem to be particularly active on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
Review Summary
There are lots of casinos for Irish players right now. And, while Casino Lab isn’t perfect, we feel it is a good choice, especially for casual players who like bonuses. We aren’t fans of the withdrawal processing fee, but this is something that seems to be popping up increasingly at new online casinos. Other than that, this is a top casino site with a huge game selection, different theme and a constant stream of bonuses. Almost perfect alchemy for the scientists at the Casino Lab – 9/10.