Foreign Workers in Philippine Gaming: The Employment Permit and GEL Rules

Foreign nationals who want to work in a Philippine gaming establishment must satisfy three requirements before deployment: a valid employment permit from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), a valid working visa issued by the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID), and a Gaming Employment License (GEL) issued by PAGCOR. The GEL is a pre-employment and continuing requirement for employment in any gaming establishment in the country. Under the GEL Manual for Employers (Version 3.0, April 2016), no employer shall hire and keep an individual employed without a valid GEL, and all applications must be coursed through the employer.

What the GEL is and who must hold one

The GEL is an authorization issued by PAGCOR granting a person the privilege to be employed as a gaming employee within Philippine jurisdiction. It is not optional. Before hiring or signing an employment contract, the employer must ensure that personnel directly involved in gaming operations possess a valid GEL. This covers:

• Regular and contractual employees, including those whose services are shared between gaming and non-gaming operations;
• Outsourced personnel hired through employment agencies whose tasks require handling of or direct contact with gaming equipment and paraphernalia and casino cash, chips or tokens — for example, contractual dealers, slot machine technicians, slot machine attendants, cashiers, bingo ticket sellers, callers, and gaming assistants; and
• Consultants assigned in the gaming area or with participation in gaming operations.

Certain personnel need not apply, such as hotel employees whose position titles and job descriptions are clearly limited to hotel operations with no gaming involvement, and personnel who are not direct hirees of the employer. Foreign nationals who fall within the covered categories, however, must obtain the GEL.

The three documents foreign applicants must submit

For a new GEL, the employer must first confirm that the foreign applicant has submitted the standard requirements — an NSO certified birth certificate, a valid NBI clearance, a medical certificate, and a drug test clearance if required by the employer — plus the following additional documents:

1. Photocopy of a valid passport from the country of origin;
2. Valid employment permit from the DOLE; and
3. Valid working visa issued by the BID.

Each document must be valid at the time of application and must match the online application exactly. The name, date of birth, and nationality on the passport must be the same as those entered in the online GEL application system. The name on the employment permit and on the working visa must likewise match the online entry, and both must be valid at the time of application. The Tax Identification Number (TIN) is also required information in the online application form.

How the application is filed

All applications for GEL must be endorsed by the prospective employer, and the endorsement takes the form of a queue number for the online GEL application. By issuing a queue number, the employer represents that it has received and kept on file the complete requirements, verified that the applicant is not in the National Database of Restricted Persons (NDRP), and verified that the applicant is not in the Terminated Employees Database (TED).

The employer generates the queue number through the Online GEL System, keying in the applicant's classification and type of application, then issues the printed coupon to the applicant. Once the applicant completes the online process, a unique GEL number is assigned, and a confirmation is emailed to both applicant and employer. The employer must print the GEL number prominently on the employee's company ID not later than one month after issuance; failure to do so is subject to regulatory sanctions.

The employer must also remit GEL fees on behalf of its employees. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable. For a new GEL, the license fees are P5,000 for executive, P3,000 for management, P1,500 for supervisory, and P1,000 for rank and file classifications.

Validity, renewal, and updates

A GEL is valid for three (3) years and expires three years after issuance, on the birth date of the applicant. Renewal must be filed within thirty days before up to thirty days after expiration; a GEL not renewed within thirty days from expiration is cancelled, and employees with expired GELs cannot be deployed for duty.

Foreign employees applying for renewal must submit new or valid requirements: a photocopy of the passport, an employment permit from the DOLE, and a working visa from the BID. Filipino applicants generally need not submit new documents, except managerial or executive personnel transferring employers.

All GEL holders must update personal information within one month after a change of position or employer, name, status, or other information, supported by documents such as a marriage certificate submitted to the employer's HR Department.

Employer obligations that affect foreign hires

The employer must designate an authorized signatory and a GEL Liaison Officer with an alternate, and must maintain a subfolder in each employee's 201 file containing the GEL documents, made available to PAGCOR anytime for compliance verification. PAGCOR conducts periodic compliance verification on all licensees, with notice sent at least fifteen days before the scheduled activity.

Hiring or deploying employees without a valid GEL is an offense under the GEL Manual, as is endorsing the application of an applicant listed in the NDRP or TED, and failure to maintain the required subfolder. An employer found in violation receives a Notice of Non-Compliance specifying the offense and corresponding penalty.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreigner work in a Philippine casino without a GEL? No. The GEL is a pre-employment and continuing requirement for employment in any gaming establishment in the country, and no employer shall hire and keep an individual employed without a valid GEL.

What permits does a foreign gaming employee need from government agencies? A valid employment permit from the DOLE and a valid working visa from the BID, both of which must be valid at the time of GEL application, plus a valid passport.

Who files the GEL application for a foreign worker? All applications for GEL must be coursed through the employer, which endorses the application by issuing a queue number and remits the fees on the employee's behalf.

Practical takeaways

• A foreign gaming employee needs three things: a DOLE employment permit, a BID working visa, and a PAGCOR GEL.
• The employer, not the foreign worker, files and endorses the GEL application and pays the fees.
• The passport, DOLE permit, and BID visa must all be valid at the time of application and must match the online application details exactly.
• The GEL is valid for three years and must be renewed within the thirty-day window before or after expiration.
• Keep complete GEL documents in the employee's 201 file subfolder — PAGCOR checks these during compliance verification.

Primary sources

The rules discussed above are drawn from the following issuances, embedded here in full for your reference.

Gaming Employment License Manual for Employers version 3.0Open in Law LibraryDownload PDF

PAGCOR Technical Standards for EGMs v1.0Open in Law LibraryDownload PDF

This article is general information and not legal advice. For your specific situation, consult a lawyer or ask ASG Legal AI.