Perception jaded by jealousy... (To answer the topic question)
It is the simpleton mentality of "if I have to work for a living, everybody should have to..." "if I do not have time to handicap and wager on sports, nobody should be allowed to, period..."
Everybody knows that people who bet on sports lay on the couch all day, drink beer, and watch sports... They never contribute anything to society. (Holier than thou - Experts fact)
As I get older it is more and more apparent just how petty and selfish people can be. The old story about people are like crabs in a bucket is so true. Just as one starts to go over the top of the bucket to freedom the rest pull it back down into the bucket. If I can not have freedom nobody gets freedom.
People do not mind that you are betting on sports, they are just jealous it is not them making the bets... As long as I am the one having fun it is all good, as long as I am the one getting all the attention it is all good...
How many times have you heard someone say... I should have gotten the raise, I should have gotten the promotion, I should have been made full time, I should have won the lottery, I should have gotten an A...
If the truth be told 99.999999% of the public would be willing to admit that as long as no one gets anything bigger, faster, nicer, or more expensive than they do they would be truly happy...