Jim Burns, CFO of Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, has died at the age of 58 following a golf cart accident, local authorities have confirmed.
According to Deltaplex News, the incident occurred on Thursday, 8 January, at the Pine Bluff Country Club, where Burns was reportedly riding in a golf cart that overturned on top of him.
Burns was transported to Jefferson Regional Hospital for treatment, where he later died in the early hours of Friday, 9 January.
Jefferson County Coroner Chad Kelley confirmed the death and stated that Burns’ body will be sent to the Arkansas State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. Further details surrounding the circumstances of the accident have not yet been released.
Burns joined Saracen Casino Resort in 2020 and played a central role in the financial and operational development of the property, which is wholly owned by the Quapaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Saracen Casino Resort opened in October 2020 and has since become a major gaming and entertainment destination in the state. In 2025, Burns was recognized by Arkansas Money & Politics magazine as the “Face of Arkansas Gaming,” highlighting his leadership and contributions to the sector.
A native of the Chicagoland area, Burns held an undergraduate degree in accounting from Northern Illinois University and was a Certified Public Accountant. He later earned an MBA from the same institution and completed an executive development program in strategic leadership in the gaming industry at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Over his career, Burns served in senior financial and executive roles across multiple tribal and commercial gaming organizations, including positions as CFO, General Manager and Interim CEO.
Burns is survived by his wife, Lisa, five adult children and four grandchildren.
Saracen Casino Resort is a wholly owned enterprise of the Quapaw Nation of Oklahoma and is located on the tribe’s ancestral homeland in Arkansas
