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PODCAST

Hold or Fold

National Prison Radio

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 this led

society & culture personal journals

All Episodes

32:52

30. Listener Questions, Series Highlights &...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/12/23

For the final episode of the series, Ben and Steve are laying it all out. Every question, every truth, every angle left unexplored. This is a full-length “Cards on the Table” special, created because there were simply too many listener questions to squeeze into the series… and far too many worth answering.In this unfiltered, deeply personal finale, the hosts dig into the topics listeners most wanted to know about:• How did prison really shape their recovery?• What became of the money they stole and

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46:47

29. Religion & Recovery | Naman

Hold or Fold ·

2025/12/16

In this powerful must-listen episode of Hold or Fold, Steve sits down with Naman, whose extraordinary journey lays bare the complex intersections of gambling harm, culture, faith, and the Criminal Justice System.Naman opens up about how his religion shaped both his addiction and his recovery, a belief system that ultimately helped save his life. He reflects on how cultural expectations kept him silent for far too long, pushing him deeper into gambling as he tried to provide his partner with the love

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24:26

28. Being the change at HMP Berwyn | Rob & Rebecca...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/12/09

In this episode, Ben stepped back inside the prison walls to meet with a group of lads at HMP Berwyn. There he shared his own story of gambling and prison, took questions from the group and facilitated a powerful and meaningful conversation around addiction & recoveryAfter the session he spoke with Rob & Rebecca from the fantastic charity ARA: Recovery for all, to find out more about the work they do generally but also within HMP Berwyn. Ben also met with Ian, a former resident of Berwyn and

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48:39

27. "I spun through £147k in 2 days" | Ben Howard

Hold or Fold ·

2025/12/02

Ben Howard first made an appearance on Hold or Fold when it was exclusive to National Prison Radio. At that point he was in limbo, waiting to see if his crimes would lead him to prison or not.He waited 4 years for his case to land, served his sentence, and came out determined to turn hard lessons into real change. In this episode he talks about how gambling took over his life, the unlikely friendship he formed on the prison bus and the informal research he carried out on his wing to count how many

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53:24

26. The rapper who's tracks on addiction and mental...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/11/25

In this raw and powerful episode of Hold or Fold, Nottingham rapper and poet Jah Digga opens up about his battle with gambling addiction, and the creative lifeline that saved him.Behind the viral hit “Addictions”, there’s a deeply personal story; nights spent haunted by visions of cards and chips, insomnia, and the relentless “chase” that drove him to near rock bottom.Raised in a rough neighbourhood, Jah watched his siblings jailed or worse, and vowed to carve out a different path. Through writing,

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42:05

25. 'Debts are getting bigger, bets are getting...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/11/18

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Mark Murray, co-founder of the mental health and addiction charity Whysup, to unpack a life that could’ve gone very differently.As a teenager, Mark was on the books at Manchester City, a promising football career ahead but everything shifted when he became a father at just 16. To cope with the pressure, Mark turned to gambling. What began as a way out soon spiralled into a 13-year addiction that would leave him drowning in debt, facing threats, and

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48:55

24. 'When I was arrested, the Officer sat me down and...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/11/11

On this episode, Steve sits down for an open and honest chat with Martin. Martin tells us how his childhood led him to gambling and what started as fruit machines by the sea soon became spending a full day, on one machine, in a bookmakerMartin also shares how his prison experience changed him, made him better understand himself and taught him to make the best of every situation through embracing the presentUSEFUL LINKS:Gambler's AnonymousGordon MoodyReframe CoachingGambling Harm UKGamble

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48:24

23. Gambling in Black Communities | Kiki & Ryan from...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/11/04

This episode explores the links between gambling harm in Black communities and the Criminal Justice System. Ben is joined by Ryan Taylor-Hines & Kiki Marriott from BetKnowMore to unpack how culture, targeted industry practices and social inequality shape gambling risk - And what community-led responses like “Breaking the Cycle” actually do on the ground to help address the problem and raise awarenessUSEFUL LINKS:BetknowmoreRyan Taylor-Hines Kiki MarriottEpic Restart FoundationGamble

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50:05

22. The Postman who gambled €10 million....And lost...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/10/28

It's another episode of 'Hold or Fold: Worldwide' - Where Ben speaks to people in other countries to find out how their experience of gambling and prison was different, or similar, to his ownWhat starts as a seemingly innocuous £1 bet spirals into a life-shattering obsession. In this riveting episode, we speak with Tony O’Reilly - Once a trusted post office manager, later a headline-making gambler, then a prisoner, and now a leading voice in the fight against gambling harm.In this conversation, he

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1:20:11

21. My Story: Clarke Carlisle

Hold or Fold ·

2025/10/21

We’re back with Series 5 of Hold or Fold - The podcast that explores gambling harm through the lens of the Criminal Justice System.In this episode, we're joined by Clarke Carlisle, former Premier League footballer, ex-PFA Chair, and mental health advocate. This is a raw and moving discussion about Clarke's journey through football, gambling, depression and how he rebuilt his life after hitting rock bottom.In This Episode•Clarke opens up about his football career and the pressure to impress both on

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40:12

20. "I was spending the whole wage, that was real...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/05/06

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 episodeNeil 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 series

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43:07

19. Spotlight On: Breakeven | Ian Semel

Hold or Fold ·

2025/04/29

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 support

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39:24

18. Young People Gambling | Craig & Verity from Gamcare

Hold or Fold ·

2025/04/22

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:GamcareReframe CoachingGambler's AnonymousGamble

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40:38

17. Tapping | The Arukah Project & Double Impact

Hold or Fold ·

2025/04/15

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, TappingPotential benefits of tapping include..Minimising cravingsHelping withdrawal symptomsReducing the risk of relapseImproving self control/restraintAltering unhelpful thoughtsHealing past traumaTo help us with a guided session

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39:13

16. "I was charged with attempted robbery and...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/04/08

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

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48:26

15. Affected Others | Rebecca & Julie

Hold or Fold ·

2025/04/01

“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 who

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45:43

14. "I took nearly $2 Million of my clients...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/03/25

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 up

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35:39

13. Road to Recovery: Self Exclusion | Katie from...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/03/18

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

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54:28

12. "For 16 years, I gambled every day" | Women &...

Hold or Fold ·

2025/03/11

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 gambling

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36:09

11. My Story: John Robins

Hold or Fold ·

2025/03/04

Hold or Fold returns for a brand new series in style with an incredible conversation with Comedian, Broadcaster and Writer, John RobinsJohn 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. John has

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