Suzara denies 1XBET link in PH hosting of FIVB World Championship

Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara has firmly denied any direct involvement with online gambling platform 1XBET regarding the country’s hosting of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.

The denial comes after Senate Games and Amusement Committee chairman Senator Erwin Tulfo flagged the tournament’s supposed sponsorship deal with the betting company, whose operations are considered illegal in the Philippines.

Tulfo criticized the visibility of 1XBET at the event, calling for an investigation by the Philippine National Police and the NBI. 

However, Suzara clarified that 1XBET logos do not appear on the taraflex courts at the Smart Araneta Coliseum or the Mall of Asia Arena, nor are they present on local tournament promotional materials.

Suzara explained that 1XBET’s presence is due to its role as a global sponsor of Volleyball World, the official international broadcasting partner of FIVB events, and not from any local deal with the PNVF.

“Wala,” Suzara told reporters when asked if 1XBET had dealings with the organizing committee. “Since the beginning, 1XBET is a global sponsor of FIVB. We met with PAGCOR and sabi nga nila, illegal dito [ang 1XBET].” Suzara told reporters, emphasizing that the organizing committee had no dealings with the betting company.

["Since the beginning, 1XBET is a global sponsor of FIVB. We met with PAGCOR and they confirmed that 1XBET is illegal here,"]

To clarify, Suzara showed that the 1XBET logo is visible only to international subscribers of Volleyball World’s streaming service and does not appear on Philippine TV broadcasts such as Cignal or One Sports.

"In the case of 1XBET, it is illegal in the Philippines. It’s not shown on domestic television. You can only see 1XBET in the global feed or if you are a subscriber of Volleyball World," he reiterated.

Suzara stressed that Senator Tulfo’s concerns may have stemmed from incomplete information, leading to the misconception that the PNVF had partnered directly with the gambling firm.

“This is a clear [case] we have to correct na baka mali ang information na kuha ni Sen. Tulfo. This would have been a good research bago i-inform si Sen.,” Suzara added.