ARCADIA, CA—Following numerous complaints from lawmakers and animal rights groups, Santa Anita Park horse track officials announced Tuesday that they will immediately stop allowing bets on all upcoming horse deaths. “We have listened closely to your concerns, and that is why, as of now, we will no longer let spectators gamble hundreds of thousands of dollars on whether a horse will fall and shatter its leg in any given race,” read a statement from park owner The Stronach Group, admitting that the sight of hundreds of spectators screaming for the horses’ blood had created an expectation of violence that the park did not condone. “While the opportunity to place wagers on outcomes such as how many bones a horse will break and the amount of time between an excruciating accident and a terrifying death has been one of the major draws of Santa Anita, this will now be the exclusive province of off-track betting parlors.” The press release also confirmed that the new rules change would not affect the park’s popular Horse Demolition Derby event.

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