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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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How WinSpirit Builds Sustainable Growth Through Player-Centric Innovation

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Interview with Kateryna Rybka, Affiliate Team Lead

Ahead of HIPTHER Prague Summit 2026, we speak with Kateryna Rybka, Affiliate Team Lead representing WinSpirit Casino, one of the fastest-growing brands in the global iGaming ecosystem. WinSpirit is a General Sponsor of the HIPTHER Prague Summit 2026, boasting a portfolio now exceeding 17,000 games. Kateryna shares insights into WinSpirit’s product vision, marketing approach, and the role responsible gaming plays in building sustainable growth.

 

Kateryna, WinSpirit positions itself as a fast-growing brand built on player-centric technology. From your perspective, what are the key pillars currently driving the brand’s momentum in today’s competitive iGaming landscape?

The core difference is that WinSpirit doesn’t treat players as traffic — we treat them as people. Most operators optimize around bonuses and acquisition. We optimize around behavior. What keeps a user engaged beyond the first deposit? What makes them return because the experience is compelling, not just because there’s a promo? That’s our focus.

Speed is critical. Hypothesis-driven experimentation happens weekly, not quarterly. Product, marketing, and affiliates work in tight loops, and if something isn’t working, we adjust fast. We prioritize LTV over volume — affiliate partnerships are strategic, not transactional. We work with partners who value engaged players, not one-time depositors.

Responsibility is non-negotiable. Responsible gaming isn’t compliance for us — it’s a product principle. Session reminders, deposit limits, reality checks are core features, because if our audience burns out or loses trust, no bonus will bring them back. That balance — innovation with measured execution — is what drives our momentum. We’re building something sustainable.

With a portfolio of more than 17,000 games, content depth is clearly a major strength. How does WinSpirit ensure that scale translates into meaningful player engagement rather than just catalogue size?

Scale without curation is just noise. We don’t treat our portfolio as a static catalogue — we treat it as a personalized experience. Our UX adapts based on player behavior through intelligent filtering and recommendations. If someone gravitates toward high-volatility slots or live tables, the experience reflects that. We use data to understand which games retain players beyond the first session and optimize accordingly.

Provider partnerships give us an edge here. We work with top studios to secure exclusive conditions, early access, and unique variants — so our users get something they can’t find everywhere else. Genre diversity also supports retention. Players evolve, and a deep portfolio lets us keep them engaged as preferences shift from slots to live casino to crash games, without them looking elsewhere.

Scale is only valuable if it serves engagement. We’re building an experience that evolves with our players, not just a library.

WinSpirit emphasises experience-driven growth over short-term promotional tactics. How is this philosophy reflected in your marketing campaigns and affiliate strategy today?

Our campaigns are built around ideas and narratives, not just bonuses. We try to go where the industry doesn’t — creating experiences that feel emotionally engaging, not transactional.

For example, WishExpress was a feature where players could send virtual gifts to each other during the holidays. It wasn’t about driving deposits — it was about creating connections. UnValentine’s Day flipped the traditional romantic narrative and resonated with users who don’t buy into the Valentine’s hype. Both saw strong engagement because they tapped into something real.

WinSpirit works with emotion, not just CPA. Our affiliate strategy reflects that — we look for partners who understand storytelling and retention, not just volume. And we pay close attention to player feedback. Long-term reputation matters more than short-term spikes.

Responsible gaming is becoming a defining factor for sustainable operators. How is WinSpirit embedding responsible gaming principles into both the product experience and its broader marketing approach?

Responsible gaming isn’t a separate feature for us — it’s embedded in the product. Session reminders, deposit limits, self-regulation tools, transparent bonus terms — these are core, not optional. Beyond that, we’re actively collaborating on education. SmartPlay, our partnership with Casino Guru, focuses on helping our audience make informed decisions through educational content and tools. The response has been strong — players engage more when they feel empowered, not just marketed to.

We’re also working with the Digital Wellness Center, which specializes in behavioral health and digital well-being. This partnership is rolling out now, and it’s about providing users with resources that go beyond gaming — addressing habits, balance, and long-term health. It’s about balancing engagement with ethics. Growth that compromises player well-being isn’t sustainable.

As WinSpirit strengthens its long-term market positioning, what key developments – whether product, partnerships, or player experience – should the industry be watching from the brand in the months ahead?

We’re doubling down on brand positioning and experience innovation. There’s a new creative campaign launching very soon — I can’t spoil it, but it follows the same philosophy as WishExpress and UnValentine’s Day. Players should expect something unexpected.

On the product side, we’re deepening gamification and personalization. The goal is to adapt the experience to each user — not just through recommendations, but through mechanics and features that respond to individual behavior. We’re also optimizing retention tools and expanding our responsible gaming framework, including the Digital Wellness Center partnership I mentioned earlier.

Sustainable growth remains the priority. We’re not chasing shortcuts — we’re building infrastructure that scales responsibly. And innovation is ongoing. Recently, WinSpirit received Special Recognition as Most Innovative Online Casino Operator for AI-driven customer support, automated query handling, and behavioral analytics that improve service quality. For us, that’s just the beginning. We’re applying similar thinking across WinSpirit — smarter systems, better player experiences, stronger foundations. The industry should watch for a brand that’s moving with intention, not just speed.

And it’s worth noting — platforms like EEG Intelligence Hub play a role in that evolution. Congratulations on 11 years of holding this industry to a higher standard. That kind of journalism matters.

The post How WinSpirit Builds Sustainable Growth Through Player-Centric Innovation appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Playnance Launches GCoin MEXC Listing with 200,000 Holders and 2M Daily Transactions

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Today, Playnance has officially launched GCOIN trading, marking a significant milestone in the expansion of its Web3 entertainment ecosystem. The token is now live on MEXC, with GCOIN/USDT trading opening on March 18, 2026 at 13:00 UTC following the project’s Token Generation Event earlier the same day.

The listing introduces GCOIN to the open market, unlocking broader access to the Playnance ecosystem and opening the door to a potentially enormous global user base. The launch follows strong early momentum, including high participation in MEXC’s Kickstarter campaign, where users competed for a share of a 50,000 USDT airdrop. 

‏Ahead of the Token Generation Event, the GCOIN community demonstrated strong demand, with over 1 billion GCOIN locked in staking within hours of the staking program going live.

As the Exosystem’s native token, GCOIN powers transactions, rewards, and participation across a rapidly growing Web3 entertainment network. Beyond adoption metrics, GCOIN is designed to bridge Web2 and Web3 by offering seamless, Web2-like on-chain experiences that lower the barrier to entry for mainstream users. This approach is already enabling Playnance to onboard large volumes of new users, converting them into active participants within the ecosystem. The ecosystem already includes over 300,000 GCOIN holders, reflecting strong early adoption and continued expansion at scale.

The exchange debut represents a major step forward in accessibility, allowing global users to engage with the ecosystem through a liquid and scalable market environment. Deposits for GCOIN are already open on MEXC, with withdrawals scheduled to begin on March 19, providing users with full flexibility to trade and manage their holdings.

“Today marks a defining moment for Playnance,” said Pini Peter, CEO of Playnance. “We identified early the opportunity to bring real scale into Web3 entertainment, and we’re building one of the leading ecosystems to support it. With GCOIN now live, we’re opening the door to what comes next – a new wave of users, new models, and a much larger shift in how entertainment moves on-chain. This is just the beginning.”

Playnance has built its token model around ecosystem-driven rewards, linking value distribution directly to platform activity rather than relying on fixed emissions. The platform already supports more than 10,000 on-chain games and processes over 2 million on-chain transactions daily, reflecting strong user engagement and growing adoption across its network.

With GCOIN now live, Playnance is entering a new phase focused on accelerating growth, expanding its global reach, and driving deeper participation across its Web3 entertainment ecosystem.

About Playnance

Founded in 2020, Playnance is a Web3 infrastructure company developing live, non-custodial, on-chain products designed to onboard mainstream Web2 users into blockchain environments. The company develops consumer-facing platforms built on shared wallet systems and high-volume on-chain execution, currently processing approximately 2 million transactions per day. Playnance focuses on reducing friction between user experience and blockchain infrastructure by abstracting complexity while maintaining full on-chain transparency and non-custodial architecture.

Contact

Sarah Peter

[email protected]

The post Playnance Launches GCoin MEXC Listing with 200,000 Holders and 2M Daily Transactions appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Booming Games releases Blazin’ Bonus

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Booming Games, a leading provider of premium gaming content, has unveiled Blazin’ Bonus, a fiery new slot designed to deliver sizzling action and scorching wins. Featuring a clean 3×3 grid with five fixed paylines and a maximum win potential of 2,680x, the game blends classic casino symbols—BARs, cherries, and flaming sevens—with high-voltage gameplay for an unforgettable experience.

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Craig Asling, Director of Games at Booming Games, commented:

“Blazin’ Bonus might seem simple at first glance, but with its dynamic ‘build your Free Spins’ mechanic and multiple ways into the Wheel Bonus, players can trigger fiery wins and explosive multipliers on every spin. Play Blazin’ Bonus now and feel the heat!”

The post Booming Games releases Blazin’ Bonus appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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