Henry McLean has spent nearly two decades in iGaming, from his early days at Ash Gaming to senior roles at Playtech. Today, he is Co-Founder and Commercial & Marketing Director at 4ThePlayer, one of the industry’s leading boutique slot studios, known for its player-first approach and carefully crafted content.
We caught up with Henry to talk strategy, retail expansion, North America, and what players and operators can expect next from 4ThePlayer!
Henry, thank you for finding the time. 4ThePlayer seems very busy with lots of announcements, new projects, and new games.
Henry: It’s no problem at all, I love talking to people about what we are up to, and yes, we are very busy, but that is exactly how I like it. 
Ok, let’s jump straight in. What do you think the industry still gets wrong about what players actually want?
Henry:
Good question! There can be an assumption that adding more mechanics, more features, or more layers automatically makes a game ‘better’. But from what we see, players don’t want to be overloaded. They want to know why they are playing and what could happen on any spin, if it is too complicated or confusing, it’s a good reason to stop playing.
How does that thinking shape the way you approach development at 4ThePlayer?
Henry: It shapes everything we do.
At its core, 4ThePlayer is a boutique slot studio focused on quality over quantity. We do not mass-produce games, and every title we release is crafted with intent, from the maths model through to the art, sound, and overall pacing.
Everything we do is driven by how the game actually feels when you play it. We spend a lot of time obsessing over balance, flow, and those moments that either keep you engaged or make you move on to something else.
Is this an approach you plan to maintain moving forward, or do you see 4ThePlayer’s strategy evolving as you look ahead to 2026?
Henry: Our strategy is not changing. We will always be boutique and quality-driven.
What is evolving is where players play our games. We continue to grow in new markets and channels, but we are very conscious of not losing what makes our games feel like 4ThePlayer games in the first place.
Growth for us is about doing the right things, not just more things. Staying focused on making entertaining, well-crafted games that players enjoy playing.
It seems many studios are moving in the opposite direction, releasing more and more games each year. Is that something that concerns you?
Henry: Honestly, no. If anything, it creates an opportunity for us.
I sometimes think of it like a shopping centre. You have a lot of fast fashion stores focused on volume, and then you have boutiques that take a different approach. They are built to appeal to a wide range of people, but when someone walks in, they know they are likely to find something more considered than fast fashion.
Like 4ThePlayer, we are not trying to be everywhere with everything. We want our games to be recognised, trusted, and chosen for the right reasons. I believe, in a crowded market, taking that approach actually helps you stand out rather than get lost in the ‘fast fashion’ noise.
You recently announced that 4ThePlayer is now live on Ladbrokes and Coral machines in shops. Can you tell us a bit more about your retail plans for 2026?
Henry: Thank you, we are really proud of that agreement.
Being live across Ladbrokes and Coral shops is a big moment for us. It is a fantastic opportunity to put 4ThePlayer games in front of a much wider retail audience. I still get excited seeing one of our titles on a machine out ‘in the wild’, and this partnership significantly expands that visibility.
Alongside this, our work with Reflex Gaming has helped bring some of our most popular online titles into land-based venues more broadly, which again opens things up to more players discovering our games in a different setting.
We strongly believe this retail strategy also supports our digital growth. Even if a player does not play the game they saw in a pub, arcade, or bookies, seeing that logo and artwork creates familiarity. When they later come across the same game online, they are far more likely to recognise it, click it, and give it a spin. That pre-exposure effect is well proven, and we see real value in that crossover.
Looking ahead to 2026, the plan is to continue building on this momentum. Retail is an important part of our overall growth, and we are also working on another exciting project in this space that we cannot share just yet, but it will take things even further when the time is right.
As always, the philosophy does not change. Quality over quantity, strong gameplay, and games that are genuinely fun to play.
We cannot have a strategy interview without asking about the US. How important is the North American market for 4ThePlayer?
Henry: The US is hugely important for us and very much a key part of our long-term strategy.
It is a market that really enjoys our games, especially 5 Flaming Dollars, which we designed specifically with US players in mind. It has performed extremely well, with strong engagement and repeat play, which has really validated our approach in that market.
On the back of that success, we are already working on a sequel that builds on the core experience and features players enjoyed in the original, while pushing the concept further, but in a way that still feels familiar.
Like many in the industry, we are optimistic that more US states will open up in the coming years. With that comes more players and some genuinely exciting opportunities. The difference now is that we know what works. We have real data and learnings from the states we are already live in, which means when new states come online, we can take those insights with us and build on them.
We are also very excited about Canada, with Alberta opening up, which is a significant development for the market and one we are very much looking forward to being part of as it launches and evolves.
Finally, what can players and operators look forward to from 4ThePlayer over the rest of the year?
Henry: We have big plans for the rest of the year!
There are new releases coming that build on some of our strongest and most recognisable franchises. Fans of 10000 X Gold and 5 Wild Buffalo will definitely see familiar territory this year, but the focus is always on evolving those experiences rather than simply repeating them. We spend a lot of time looking at what players responded to most and then building on that in meaningful ways.
Alongside that, there are also some bigger, more ambitious titles in the pipeline. Games like 4TP Book of AfricRa allow us to explore slightly different styles while still applying the same design principles that run through all our games.
We also have another theme coming down the tracks with a train robbery concept, which is shaping up really nicely and brings a very different energy to the portfolio.
Jackpots continue to be an important part of the roadmap as well, continuing our work with Relax Dream Drop, allowing us to offer huge jackpots that would otherwise be impossible.
As I mentioned, we also have a sequel to 5 Flaming Dollars that North American players will be particularly excited about. Finally, we also have another animal slot on the way, and no, it’s not fish or sea-related.
