In the final episode of the series, Ben & Steve hear from Neil. Neil had a transformative experience in prison where he took time to work out what he wanted from life – He has since gone back in to prisons helping others as a liaison worker for Gambler’s Anonymous and now works for Breakeven who we featured on the previous episode Neil has a great way with words and quite a different perspective to the ones we usually hear, both on gambling and prison. Ben & Steve also discuss their seri...
May 06, 2025•40 min
It’s another ‘Spotlight On’ episode where we celebrate the work of an organisation or charity within the gambling harm space that can offer you help, support and guidance. This time, we’re speaking to the fabulous Ian Semel, CEO and founder of the fantastic ‘ Breakeven ’ - A charity for whom “Lived experience plays a major part in everything they do…” In 2024, ‘Breakeven’ supported more than 15000 individuals, conducted over 2400 interventions in prisons and are committed to getting people the s...
Apr 29, 2025•43 min
The number of 11-17 year olds showing signs of problem gambling has doubled over the past year. As technology improves, young people are exposed to gambling a lot more frequently through social media, sporting events and online activity. On this episode, Ben & Steve are joined by Craig & Verity from Gamcare to discuss the scale of the issue, why the figures are increasing and what can be done about it. USEFUL LINKS: Gamcare Reframe Coaching Gambler's Anonymous Gamble Aware BetKnowMore Br...
Apr 22, 2025•39 min
It’s another follow along episode as we serve up another practical session to aid you in your recovery. In the previous series we looked at mindfulness to help ease anxiety and in this episode we are focussing on a different method, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or, Tapping Potential benefits of tapping include.. Minimising cravings Helping withdrawal symptoms Reducing the risk of relapse Improving self control/restraint Altering unhelpful thoughts Healing past trauma To help us with a guide...
Apr 15, 2025•41 min
In a desperate attempt to continue gambling, Bryan walked into a high street bank and gave the clerk seconds to hand over cash. He threatened to blow up the premises with the explosives in his rucksack, if his demands were not met… Bryan had no such explosives and almost instantly walked out of the bank to call the police and tell them what he had done. Unsurprisingly, Bryan was arrested and sentenced to time in prison. On this episode of Hold or Fold, Bryan chats to Steve about how his gambling...
Apr 08, 2025•39 min
“For every 1 person that gambles, there are 6 to 10 people within their network who are directly impacted by that gambling harm” On this episode of Hold or Fold we are looking at ‘Affected Others’ - Those who are affected by the gambling of people in their lives. We are joined by Rebecca, Gamcare’s ‘Lived Experience Manager for Affected Others’ - Who talks about the ripple effect of a person’s gambling and how she was also affected by the gambling of a loved one. We also hear from Julie, someone...
Apr 01, 2025•48 min
Ben has been traveling the world again (From the comfort of our virtual studio!) and welcomes Ed to the show. Ed was born in the UK but in an attempt to escape his gambling habit, left for the warmer climes of Australia where everybody “Wants to keep fit and live healthy lifestyles” - What he found though was an even more challenging environment for someone trying to curb their addiction. Pubs filled with Pokeys and access to millions of clients dollars led Ed down a treacherous path which ended...
Mar 25, 2025•46 min
An important step on anyone’s road to recovery is stopping access to the source of your addiction. Thankfully, GAMSTOP has made this a much easier process as they will do the leg work for you. On this episode, Ben & Steve are joined by Katie from GAMSTOP who tells us all about the service, how to use it and the far reaching benefits. Ben & Steve share their own experience with self exclusion and we hear from Bryan who himself used GAMSTOP to aid in his gambling recovery. USEFUL LINKS GAM...
Mar 18, 2025•36 min
While Men are statistically more likely to gamble and suffer from gambling harm, the gender gap seems to be narrowing but does this mean more women are gambling or more women are now coming forward for support? To ask this question and find out more about the experience of women who have gambled, Ben & Steve welcome Sian and Lisa to Hold or Fold. Sian spent some time in HMP Styal after committing crimes relating to her gambling while an incredible casino win saw Lisa embark on a 16 year gamb...
Mar 11, 2025•54 min
Hold or Fold returns for a brand new series in style with an incredible conversation with Comedian, Broadcaster and Writer, John Robins John has had a fantastic career which has seen him scoop the Edinburgh Comedy Award and a Gold ARIA (The Audio & Radio Industry Awards), front several successful Podcasts/Radio shows and he can even boast the highest ever score on Taskmaster! But more recently, John has become known for his honesty and compassion when it comes to talking about addiction. Joh...
Mar 04, 2025•36 min
In the series finale we hear Tracy’s incredible story. Tracy suffered breakdowns and strokes as a result of her gambling but doesn’t have any regrets as she is now at peace and most importantly….Happy! Tracy now goes into prisons to run GA groups and provide prisoners with a safe space to talk about their addiction. She gets just as much out of it as those attending the sessions Ben & Steve also pick their series highlights which includes a previously unheard clip from Ben’s chat with David ...
Oct 15, 2024•51 min
One in 10 people in Britain now hold cryptocurrency but what is it? How does it work? and could it be linked to gambling? Hold or Fold are investigating another gambling grey area as Steve & Ben explore their thoughts around crypto and welcome Tony & Stewart on to the show. Tony has had his own battles with addiction and now works as senior specialist therapist at Castle Craig Hospital in Scotland. Tony helps support people with more ‘modern’ addictions including cryptocurrency and Stewa...
Oct 08, 2024•45 min
In this episode we’re looking at betting shops and the role they play in the wider gambling culture. Ben & Steve let us know if betting shops played a part within their own journeys and we hear from two people who were impacted by betting shops for very different reasons… David lost a large amount in a betting shop and fell into a cycle of robbing them, to claim ‘revenge’ - He ended up serving a 10 year prison sentence as a result of this. Meanwhile, Lady Unchained experienced this from the ...
Oct 01, 2024•37 min
Hold or Fold's very own Steve founded ' Reframe Coaching ' alongside his wife in 2020. They had spotted a need for gambling support after treatment and now offer bespoke coaching services to those with direct experience of gambling harm as well as affected others, using the power of lived experience This episode focuses on the journey of Reframe , how it came to be, the services offered and how you can get involved. Reframe’s vision is for ‘Everyone to be present in their lives’ and one way of d...
Sep 24, 2024•59 min
On this episode of Hold or Fold: Worldwide, Ben has a chat with Patrick Chester from the USA Ben quickly realises that he and Patrick have many similarities in their stories. From knee injuries ending their sporting careers and leading to gambling to their partners suspecting infidelity due to their secretive behaviour. What follows is a fascinating conversation between two people, who live thousands of miles apart in countries with entirely different gambling cultures, and find so much common g...
Sep 17, 2024•47 min
The gaming industry has exploded in recent years and is now worth over $270 billion worldwide. However, the improvement in graphics, depth, playability and connectivity has also seen a shift in the way we consume games but also how we pay for them and the content within them. Some games are now ‘Freemium’ (Cost nothing to download) and offer ‘In-game purchases’ while others employ a mechanic known as ‘loot boxes’ - A chance based gameplay element which typically cost you money. Could these loot ...
Sep 10, 2024•47 min
In our inaugural Recovery special we’ll be hearing from the world’s first professor of addiction recovery, David Best David has a degree in psychology with philosophy, a masters in Criminology and a PhD in the psychology of addictions. He has also authored 3 books on addiction recovery and has written more than 170 peer-reviewed publications so it was a great honour to have him on the show. He tells us what Recovery means, how to give yourself the best chance of a successful recovery and how thi...
Sep 03, 2024•57 min
Gordon Moody is an organisation that provides advice, counselling, online support and a structured residential treatment course to help you overcome problems caused by gambling. Having heard the name ‘ Gordon Moody ’ crop up in many of the conversations we’ve had around gambling addiction in the past, we decided to pay them a visit. Co-Host Ben travelled to both the Women’s and the Men’s residential treatment centres in the Midlands where he met with Jemma, Lisa and Andy. All of whom have had th...
Aug 27, 2024•53 min
Professional footballer Steven Caulker has had quite the career. Since signing his first professional contract at Tottenham Hotspur he has played for the likes of Liverpool, Southampton, Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wigan Athletic & Malaga City. A promising start to his career led to him being selected for the England national side as well as the Great Britain Olympic team. Steven’s competitive edge and addictive personality eventually led him down some dark paths and before long gambling, al...
Aug 20, 2024•47 min
After two successful series broadcast exclusively on National Prison Radio - ‘Hold or Fold’ is now available to everyone 'Hold or Fold' explores gambling harm with an emphasis on the criminal justice system, your hosts Ben & Steve have both served time in prison as a direct result of their gambling. In this first episode they are introducing themselves to you, a brand new audience. They candidly share what got them into gambling, how it escalated and why this led to a prison sentence. What w...
Aug 13, 2024•39 min
A podcast for anyone who has suffered from gambling related harm. 'Hold or Fold' explores the 'hidden addiction' that is gambling with a keen eye on how this affects those with experience of the Criminal Justice System. Your hosts Ben & Steve both spent time in prison as a direct result of their gambling addiction - On Hold or Fold they share the stories of people who, like them, have been taken to the brink by gambling. You'll hear how gambling took a hold of people's lives, the dark places...
Aug 01, 2024•3 min
