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Emotions test reveals: The online purchases making us 67% happier!
- 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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Best Payment Provider
ZettaOnline Wins “Best Payment Provider” at EiGE Awards 2025 During the European Gaming Congress in Warsaw
Reading Time: 2 minutes
ZettaOnline has been named Best Payment Provider at the EiGE Awards 2025, held during the European Gaming Congress (EGC) in Warsaw, Poland on 30-31 October.
Organized by Hipther, the awards honor excellence and innovation across the gaming and fintech ecosystem. The “Best Payment Provider” title recognizes the company that delivers secure, fast, and friction-free transaction solutions, setting new benchmarks for reliability and customer experience in iGaming.
This distinction marks ZettaOnline’s second major recognition in 2025 in the same category, reinforcing its position as a trusted fintech partner for regulated gaming operators.
“Receiving this award at such a renowned industry event is an incredible honor and a reflection of our team’s focus on strategic advancement, compliance, and client success,” said Milena Tsankarska, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at ZettaOnline, who accepted the award on behalf of the company.
In addition to the company’s success, Milena Tsankarska had received individual nominations in two categories: iGaming Leader of the Year, celebrating vision and leadership in the industry, and iGaming Influencer of the Year, honoring individuals whose insights and impact help shape the gaming community.
At the European Gaming Congress, Tsankarska also joined the panel “Beyond the Booth: Strategic Event Preparation in B2B PR, Marketing & BizDev,” where she discussed the evolving role of communication in a data-driven era. Her key message highlighted the importance of aligning research, audience understanding, and business goals to create marketing that resonates and drives measurable outcomes.
“We value this event because it allows us to create a network of long-term partners. It’s great to see the potential of the gaming industry showcased by a diverse range of companies and ideas,” said Tsankarska. “We’re thankful to the Hipther team for recognizing our work and for creating spaces that foster real collaboration and progress across the sector.”
ZettaOnline continues to strengthen its position within the fintech and gaming ecosystems, delivering tailored solutions that combine technology, compliance, and security across multiple regulated markets. The company’s expertise spans online payments, cyber security, cloud services, certification, IT infrastructure, software development, server and system administration, and technical compliance, ensuring every partner receives a holistic approach to operational excellence. With a focus on speed, reliability, and intelligent scalability, ZettaOnline empowers businesses to navigate complex financial and technological environments with confidence and clarity.
The post ZettaOnline Wins “Best Payment Provider” at EiGE Awards 2025 During the European Gaming Congress in Warsaw appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Red Rake Gaming presents Get the Coins!, a slot that combines gold coins with Major, Minor, and Grand prizes in a dynamic, fast-paced experience. This release offers rapid gameplay and an exclusive Mini-Game that delivers unique reward opportunities in every session.
With its 3×3 reel format, each spin can generate coins and trigger the “Get the Coins!” Mini-Game with collectible coins whenever at least one coin appears on each reel. During this Mini-Game, the collected coins can award Minor, Major, and Grand prizes, increasing excitement and win potential on every spin.
The game blends a classic slot design with clear symbols and features, making it easy to integrate into any online casino and enhancing the overall player experience.
Get the Coins! is also integrated into Red Rake Gaming’s tournament tool, allowing operators to organize competitions and boost player activity and retention.
Get the Coins! is available to all operators on the Red Rake Gaming network, offering a title that combines classic features with a Mini-Game that amplifies excitement and rewards.
The post Red Rake Gaming presents “Get the Coins!”: Exclusive Coin Mini-Game with Big Wins appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Pioneering platform solutions provider adds content from leading software studio to bring customers an even wider selection of games and engagement tools
Elantil, the disruptive platform solutions provider on a mission to supply a revolutionary new “strategic backbone” for the iGaming industry, has announced that it has further increased the options in its online marketplace after partnering with Booming Games.
Established almost a decade ago by a close group of friends aiming to become one of the finest software studios in the iGaming industry, Booming Games has gone from strength to strength in recent years and now boasts a full content line-up of over 150state-of-the-art casino releases.
Licensed and certified in 17 regulated markets, including Malta, Ontario and the UK, Booming Games offers localised content in a variety of market-specific currencies and languages while also assisting operators’ engagement efforts with its exciting promotional tools.
As such, the studio promises to be a flexible addition to Elantil’s Marketplace that will enable operators to extend their outreach and supply an even more thrilling experience to players – and best of all, partners are free to contact the provider directly and form their own custom contracts.
With this, ensuring operators have complete control over the content and services that they take on and that Elantil never dictates the terms or duration of any agreements, operators can keep their costs to a minimum while also benefiting from Elantil’s quick and hassle-free integrations.
John Debono, Chief Technical Officer at Elantil, said: “Elantil’s Marketplace has been designed to put control back in the hands of operators and provide a quick and cost-effective way for them to expand their services. By adding Booming Games to our content line-up, we’ll be able to provide more thrilling content to customers that can help them reach new audiences globally.”
Frederik Niehusen, Chief Commercial Officer at Booming Games, said: “By partnering with Elantil, we’ll be able to reach new customers and deliver our top-performing slots to even more players around the world. This collaboration represents another important step in expanding our global reach and continuing to provide high-quality, engaging content to our partners and their players.”
The post Elantil enhances marketplace options with Booming Games integration appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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