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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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Tuplaus wins Gamification Manager title at Slotsoo Finland Casino Awards 2026

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Wildz Group brand Tuplaus has won the Slotsoo Finland Casino Awards 2026 “Pelillistämispäällikö” (Gamification Manager) title, according to a company announcement dated July 2026 from Ta ‘Xbiex, Malta.

Slotsoo’s organisers said: “Only a casino that has taken the gambling experience to a whole new level can be called a gamification manager.” Judges added that Tuplaus delivers “multidimensional gaming moments” that are “far from the monotonous spinning of classic slot machines”.

The judges also highlighted consistency in Tuplaus’ use of gamification from onboarding onwards. They said that “even with the welcome bonus, the player gets to progress step by step and unlock new benefits along the way, and not all the prizes fall into your lap at once. When you add in other promotions and gaming elements, the whole thing feels much more alive than the usual casino experience. Tuplaus shows that the best bonuses are not always the biggest, but they can also be the most fun”.

The company said the Slotsoo accolades assess “hundreds of brands” across multiple categories.

Tuplaus launched in 2025, when Wildz Group CEO Sam Brown said: “We’re exceptionally proud of this new product that will serve our players with the latest online casino experience. Our existing products, Wildz, Wheelz, Spinz, Caxino and Chipz already enjoy a convincing market share, and we’re optimistic that Tuplaus will meet with the same enthusiasm. We have a wide range of player rewards, bonuses, boosts, and more, [and] we’re confident players will love the latest addition to the Wildz Group family of online casinos.”

In the release, Tuplaus also pointed to Pay & Play functionality, no-registration onboarding, a catalogue of games from third-party providers, and frequent promotions as parts of its product proposition.

The post Tuplaus wins Gamification Manager title at Slotsoo Finland Casino Awards 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Swintt’s Elysium Studios launches Odyssey Hold & Win slot

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Swintt has released a new slot from its Elysium Studios label, titled Odyssey Hold & Win. The supplier said the game is built around a Hold & Win collection mechanic and features a stated maximum win of 3,317x.

Odyssey Hold & Win runs on a 4×4 grid that can expand to 4×8 when Athena appears, according to the company. The theme draws on Greek mythology, with symbols including Odysseus, Calypso, Poseidon and Circe.

The core mechanic collects and pays all cash symbols on the reels whenever Odysseus lands, Swintt said. The release also includes a respin-style feature where three Athena symbols expand the grid, mirror cash values and award three respins, with the counter resetting when new cash symbols land.

A Free Spins feature triggers with three scatters and awards 10 spins, with cash symbols locking until collected, the company said. During Free Spins, Poseidon can combine all cash values into a single icon, Circe can add a random number of cash symbols, and Athena and Calypso can add spins or respins under specific conditions.

Anthony Dalla-Giacoma, Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt, said: “The Odyssey is one of the most enduring tales of hardship, adventure and homecoming, making it the perfect inspiration for a slot that’s packed with memorable characters and exciting feature potential.

“With expanding reels, locked cash symbols, divine modifiers and wins of up to 3,317x, Odyssey Hold & Win is a fittingly epic addition to the Elysium Studios line-up and a title we believe will appeal strongly to operators looking to offer players a fresh take on Greek mythology.”

The post Swintt’s Elysium Studios launches Odyssey Hold & Win slot appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Games Global and Alchemy Gaming launch Rumble Kong CASHINGO slot

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Games Global has launched Rumble Kong CASHINGO™, a new jungle-themed online slot developed with exclusive studio partner Alchemy Gaming. The title went live on 23rd July 2026.

Rumble Kong CASHINGO™ is a 5×5, 3,125 ways-to-win game built around an expanding CASHINGO™ collection grid. Yellow Cash and Jackpot Bananas that land on the reels are reflected onto the grid during the base game and Free Spins, with completed horizontal, vertical or diagonal lines collecting and awarding the cash prizes and jackpot values shown.

The game also includes HOT MODE™, which can activate at random or after a 24-hour countdown. HOT MODE awards 5-10 spins where only Bananas appear on the reels, increasing the chance to add prizes to the CASHINGO™ grid.

Bonus Tokens collected across all five rows trigger a Wheel Bonus offering jackpots, Free Spins or the 500x Free Spins feature. During Free Spins, a CASHINGO™ Booster can apply multipliers of up to 200x across the grid, while a Super Scatter activates 500x Free Spins, applying a fixed 500x multiplier across the grid.

Marcus Thorpe-Fairall, Creative Director at Alchemy Gaming, said: “Rumble Kong CASHINGO™ is built around the idea of giving players something to work towards on every spin. As the CASHINGO™ grid grows, the game continues to open up, while HOT MODE™ and the Wheel Bonus add extra variety and reward potential.

“Combined with the vibrant theme, it’s a title that is full of personality with plenty of opportunities to win.”

David Reynolds, Director of Games Strategy and Partner Management at Games Global, said: “Alchemy Gaming has developed a title that combines familiar collection mechanics with a distinctive jungle theme and a strong line-up of engaging features.

“Rumble Kong CASHINGO™ is another great addition to our portfolio, giving players an experience that evolves throughout the session while offering operators a feature-rich release with broad appeal.”

The post Games Global and Alchemy Gaming launch Rumble Kong CASHINGO slot appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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