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Emotions test reveals: The online purchases making us 67% happier!

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  • On average, online purchases are found to raise our positive feelings by 56%
  • Participants reported the biggest increase in happiness when purchasing houseplants – positive emotions soared by 67%
  • Gaming console purchases saw the second highest increase in positive feelings (+66%)
  • Trainers and fiction books are also among the purchases raising positive emotions most
  • Holidays abroad came in last; participants noted high levels of excitement but also reported an increase in concern due to its uncertainty

Thanks to ‘doom shopping’, it was revealed that the UK spends three times more when online shopping compared to the global average, costing the average person a whooping £1,382 per year! Clearly these purchases keep us coming back for more, but how do we enjoy splashing our cash the most?
Interested in online shopping, money.co.uk conducted an emotions test among 2,560 participants to discover which online purchases bring us the most joy!

Participants were asked to complete a variation* of the BMIS test (Brief Mood Intensity Scale) and record the intensity of 10 different emotions after making an online purchase. The intensity of each emotion was allocated a score based on its positivity, with a maximum score of 500 points per item – the higher the score, the better. Participants were also asked to complete the same test before making any purchases to uncover the percentage increase in positive emotions when shopping.

Which online purchases make us happiest?

Money.co.uk can reveal that a houseplant purchase increases our intensity of positive emotions more than any other transaction!
Collecting 478 points out of a potential 500, moods improved by 67% after making a plant purchase. Plants are proven to invoke feelings of vitality by improving the state of mind and lifting spirits – no wonder it scores highly!
With the PS5 still proving hard to get, purchasing a gaming console is the second online transaction that makes us happiest.

As many gamers are left on the edge of their seats waiting to snatch the latest console, it accumulated 475 points out of 500, and purchasing a console was found to raise positive feelings by 66% on average.
In third position are trainer purchases. With the demand for sneakers like Jordan 1s only increasing, those who purchased new trainers reported a 64% increase in happiness, and purchases racked up 472 points.
With bookworms reported to be happier than those who don’t read, the transaction that makes us fourth happiest is a fiction book, improving positive emotions by 64% and collecting 470 points.
Due to the huge surge in personal fitness and wellbeing during lockdown, home gym equipment purchases are found to make us fifth happiest! This transaction led to a 63% increase in positive emotions and scored a healthy 468 points.

To complete the top 10 purchases that increase our intensity of positive emotions:
6. Video game: 466 points, +62%
7. Eyeshadow palette: 465 points, +62%
8. Scented candle: 463 points, +61%
9. Exercise clothing: 461 points, +61%
10. Fashion jewellery: 459, +60%

Coming in last is a holiday abroad with 393 points out of 500 (+37%). Those who plan on jet-setting this year reported high levels of excitement and happiness but were pushed down the table as feelings of worry and nerves due to its current uncertainty.
Interested in the reasons behind our vast improvement in positive feelings, money.co.uk spoke exclusively to Lee Chambers, psychologist and wellbeing consultant, to uncover why shopping makes us happy.
“Online shopping has the ability to make us happy through several different mechanisms. Firstly, even in a world of plenty, we are still evolutionarily designed to consider scarcity. Because of this, acquiring new items, especially when discounted or limited, tends to make us happy, the feeling we have satisfied a need and potentially averted a future threat.

Shopping is also an exercise in control. We select from millions of items precisely what we want, and especially in the uncertain times we live in, we know we will get exactly what we have purchased, and it will be delivered straight to us. This control of selection and guarantee of receipt is powerful, as it becomes a defined event. We also build a level of expectation and anticipation from the moment we press the purchase button, as we believe we now have ownership over the item but have a delay until it is with us physically.

From a cultural perspective, we have been conditioned to see shopping as a reward, either an investment in ourselves or for the satisfaction of others. Shopping is likely to activate the nucleus accumbens in our brain, releasing dopamine and motivating us to repeat the behaviour. Buying printed media taps into our desire to better ourselves, gain knowledge, understand the world around us and provide stories and entertainment that can take us on a journey. And let’s not forget how lovely they look on your bookshelf on a video call, as books have become a decorative symbol over the past year.

And why do we keep buying? Our brain is adaptive, and shopping can relieve stress, provide entertainment when bored and give us a hit of dopamine. The rewarding feeling will keep us finding new things to purchase, especially since our excitement and anticipation fade once we’ve received the item.”

Catherine Hilley, mobiles expert at money.co.uk, said: “Our research reveals how small purchases can increase customers’ emotions in a positive way, something we all need after the past 12 months. With an average 63% increase in positive emotions noted across all top 10 purchases, it seems that shopping online for items such as houseplants, trainers and candles are sparking a lot more joy at the moment, than booking a holiday, which comes with a lot of added uncertainty.”

For more information, please see the blog post for the full rankings and a breakdown by sex, and age: https://www.money.co.uk/mobiles/online-shopping-joy

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Ebaka Games secures first aggregator partner with Hub88 deal

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Ebaka Games has taken a major step in its growth journey by securing its first aggregator partnership with Hub88, officially ending its period of exclusivity with menace.com and opening up to new commercial opportunities.

The new agreement will see Hub88’s network of operators among the first to access Ebaka Games’ distinctive portfolio, known for its original mechanics and bold approach to instant-play gaming.

Through seamless integration via the Hub88 API, partner operators can quickly onboard Ebaka’s full suite of instant games. The portfolio is designed to stand out, featuring dynamic gameplay, striking visuals, proprietary Ebaka game modes, high-volatility mechanics, and generous multipliers. The studio’s focus is firmly on delivering instant entertainment and driving strong player engagement.

Commenting on the partnership, Ebaka Games CEO Vitalii Zalievskyi said:
“It is time to bring Ebaka Games’ genuinely thrilling content to players around the world, and partnering with Hub88 is an important step as we scale our operations. We’re excited that operators can now integrate our games so easily, and we look forward to building a strong, long-term partnership with Hub88 as we expand globally.”

The Hub88 deal marks the first phase of Ebaka Games’ wider distribution strategy. The studio has confirmed that additional partnerships are already in the pipeline, with its content set to roll out across major operators and leading aggregators in the near future.

The post Ebaka Games secures first aggregator partner with Hub88 deal appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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QTech Games Partners with PEA Gaming to Roll Out More Premium Weightless Games

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QTech Games, the top game distributor in all emerging markets, has sustained the momentum in its 2026 pipeline, attributed to its recent agreement with the up-and-coming supplier of weightless games, PEA Gaming.

Lighter than light, this weightless category features games that are under 1% the size of conventional light games. Importantly, PEA Gaming provides the sole games that are entirely compatible on various devices, ranging from basic feature phones to advanced smartphones.

Incorporating offerings from the most imaginative and cutting-edge “weightless games” supplier further enhances QTech Games’ expanding platform, which brings the broadest selection of online games to new markets, featuring both renowned brands and the industry’s most thrilling emerging developers.

The games offered to its partners include well-known favorites and new titles, such as Penalty, Roulette, Hilo, Tusks & Tails, and Target, all of which are supported by robust mathematical modeling and easy, recognizable gameplay.

Participants in developing markets frequently face technological obstacles to participation, including limitations in handset quality, limited access to high-speed networks, or elevated data expenses. Consequently, PEA Gaming’s games are tailored for this particular segment, aiming to address these challenges while maintaining a high-quality product. The agreement further expands PEA Gaming’s global presence, opening up previously inaccessible regions from Africa to Latin America for varied development.

Philip Doftvik, QTech Games’ CEO, said: “PEA Gaming is injecting a prized weightless specialism into the sector, particularly in emerging markets where network connectivity can encounter serious challenges. We’re integrating more and more “weightless” games for markets like Africa to overcome those ongoing data/network obstacles without sacrificing the delivery of high-quality product.

“PEA Gaming’s keystone is developing easily intelligible and engaging games for all – prioritizing performance wherever you set your scene on the map. These games are indicative of our strategy to bring more agile entertainment options to the QTech Games platform for our partners worldwide.”

Permi Jhooti, CEO of PEA Gaming, added: “We’ve created a new space of weightless games that finally provide an immersive gaming experience to all users, regardless of device and bandwidth limitations. Partnering with QTech represents a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our product distribution across emerging territories and deliver our great games to a range of top-tier partners.

“That’s why we design every game with emerging market players in mind: those facing real-world challenges like basic handsets, slow networks, and expensive data. Our games are purpose-built for this audience, tackling these limitations head-on while still delivering a high-quality, seamless experience. Our approach is simple: create fun, rewarding games without the excess — and it works. By stripping out all the fluff, our games are a mind-blowing 2,000 times smaller than many so-called “light” games, making costly data usage a thing of the past.

“Above all, this collaboration marks a significant step forward for PEA Gaming’s growth strategy in untapped territories like Africa and Latin America where our games will doubtless prove popular since they work everywhere, even in regions where low-end devices and limited network speed are prevalent.”

The post QTech Games Partners with PEA Gaming to Roll Out More Premium Weightless Games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Bala Ganesan

John Connelly Steps Down as Interblock CEO

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Interblock, the global leader in luxury gaming products, announced that John Connelly has stepped down from his role as Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors has appointed Bala Ganesan, Interblock’s former interim Chief Operating Officer and a Managing Director at Oaktree Capital Management, to serve as interim CEO while a comprehensive search is conducted for a permanent successor. Oaktree-advised investment funds own a majority of the equity interests in Interblock.

“On behalf of the Board and the entire Interblock team, we thank John for his many years of service. Under his guidance, Interblock experienced significant growth driven by a clear vision and entrepreneurial execution. As the Company enters its next phase of growth and innovation, the Board is focused on building a world-class, scalable operating platform and ensuring Interblock is led by the right executive to capitalize on emerging opportunities and sustain its strong growth trajectory,” said David Quick, Interblock Board member.

Mr. Ganesan brings extensive executive leadership and business transformation experience through his role as a Managing Director on the Portfolio Transformation team at Oaktree. He joined Oaktree in 2017 from Yum! Brands, where he led major growth initiatives and the operational and digital transformation of Taco Bell. Previously, Mr. Ganesan led corporate and business strategy, commercial growth, and turnaround initiatives at Kimberly-Clark Corporation and Mattel, Inc. He also served as a senior leader in McKinsey & Company’s operational transformation practice, advising Fortune 500 companies across the consumer, technology, manufacturing, medical devices, energy, and financial services sectors. Mr. Ganesan acted as the Company’s interim Chief Operating Officer from 2024 to 2025.

“Interblock is exceptionally well positioned for continued growth, underpinned by a talented team, industry-leading innovation, and strong customer partnerships. I am honored to support the Company during this transition and remain focused on serving our customers and partners,” said Mr. Ganesan.

Mr. Quick added: “We are fortunate to have Bala step in as interim CEO at this important time. During his tenure as interim COO, Bala demonstrated outstanding leadership, operational expertise, and a deep understanding of our business and industry. The Board has full confidence in his ability to guide Interblock through this transition and ensure we continue to deliver value to our customers and partners.”

The Board has engaged an executive search firm to identify Interblock’s next permanent CEO. During this period, Interblock remains fully committed to advancing its strategic priorities and delivering the high-quality products and services that define the Interblock brand.

The post John Connelly Steps Down as Interblock CEO appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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