James M. Burns, the chief financial officer of Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, has passed away at the age of 58 following a tragic golf cart accident at Pine Bluff Country Club.
He is survived by his wife, Lisa, their five adult children, and four grandchildren.
Golf Cart Incident
According to Deltaplex News, Burns suffered the life-altering injuries in the afternoon of January 8, when the golf cart he was riding in overturned and fell on him.
As confirmed by Jefferson County Coroner Chad Kelley, first responders transferred Burns to Jefferson Regional Hospital, where he passed away the following morning.
Kelley added that Burns’ body will be sent to the Arkansas State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy as the investigation continues.
Respected Figure in the Gambling World
Burns was widely known and highly respected in The Natural State’s gaming industry. Last April, Arkansas Money & Politics featured him as the “Face of Arkansas Gaming,” describing him as a “value creator and effective leader” and giving him credit for his consistent record of hitting financial and operational targets.
His profile mostly focused on Burns’ influence at Saracen Casino Resort, where he worked closely with fellow executives and the leadership of the Quapaw Nation, shaping long-term development while paying attention to creating new jobs and inking partnerships with local vendors.
Colleagues will remember Burns as a thoughtful person with a deep understanding of both the numbers and the people behind them. This approach was deeply rooted in his experience, as Burns grew up in the Chicago area and graduated from Joliet Catholic High School before earning a degree in accounting from Northern Illinois University in 1989.
Later that year, he passed the CPA exam, and, a few years later, in 1995, decided to complete his MBA at NIU, and later added executive training through a strategic leadership program for gaming professionals at the University of Nevada, Reno, in 2012.
His career in gaming finance spanned decades. Prior to joining Saracen in 2020, Burns served as CFO for multiple organizations, including Naskila Gaming, Bay Mills Resort & Casino, Goodwill of Central Arizona, and Casino Arizona, and also held CEO and general manager roles for Casino del Sol Resort and San Carlos Apache Tribe, among others.
On his LinkedIn profile, Burns described himself as a “finance executive with over 28 years of diverse and demonstrated record of enhancing business operations, derived from a strategic focus, financial leadership and deep expertise” in the management of operations.