PNVF President Tats Suzara clarified that 1XBET’s presence in the FIVB Worlds broadcast appears only in global feeds and not on local TV, asserting that the gambling site has no direct ties to the organization.
Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara on Tuesday categorically denied any direct involvement with the online betting site 1XBET.
This comes amid allegations surrounding the appearance of the brand’s virtual ads during the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship in Manila.
Suzara addressed the issue following Senator Erwin Tulfo’s remarks during a Senate hearing, where the lawmaker raised concerns over the unlicensed betting platform’s supposed presence in the tournament.
“There's a lot of broadcast virtual ads, even in Wimbledon and the NBA, nakikita na. You thought it was on the ground, pero wala naman pala,” Suzara told reporters.
“In the case of 1XBET, 1XBET is illegal in the Philippines, so it's not shown on domestic television.”
Tats Suzara shows the Volleyball World feed where 1XBET logo can be seen. | Photo: RM Chua/One Sports
Suzara, who is also the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) President, emphasized that 1XBET is illegal in the Philippines and therefore cannot be broadcast on local channels such as One Sports or Cignal TV, which hold the domestic rights to the tournament.
“1XBET is only for the global feed, and if you're a subscriber to Volleyball World. Other than that, you don't see it in One Sports and Cignal—and Cignal knows very well ang restrictions diyan,” he explained.
Rebutting Senator Tulfo’s allegations
Tulfo had earlier flagged the tournament, stating: “Sila [1XBET] po ang isa sa mga major sponsors ng World Volleyball [Championship] na napapanood sa buong mundo sa MOA at Araneta Coliseum. Tignan mo ang kabastusan na ‘yan,”
The Senator even urged the PNP and NBI to investigate the matter.
For their part, Suzara clarified that PNVF had no control or involvement in the appearance of 1XBET on global feeds and that they had previously coordinated with PAGCOR regarding sponsorship restrictions.
“From the beginning, when we met with PAGCOR, sinabi nga na illegal dito,” said Suzara.
“Sa information naman du’n sa ibinigay [kay Sen. Tulfo], if you will see, it's 1XBET kung isa subscriber ng Volleyball World. I don't know kung sino nag-subscribe, nakuha niya siguro ito,” he added.
What’s next?
Suzara also reiterated that 1XBET is a global sponsor of FIVB, but has never been involved with the PNVF or its local operations.
With this in mind, the FIVB Executive Vice President stated that he had already sent a clarification to the relevant parties.
“I’ve already shared this with someone who can inform Senator Tulfo that he might have received the wrong information,” he said.
Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.