As the majority of people do not understand the betting industry, they generally scoff at the idea of sports/horse race betting as a legitimate investment option. That is because they have only been exposed to one side of the business, the entertainment side. Of course gambling is generally painted in an ordinary light in the media where it is linked to family break downs and suicides. The perception among those who haven`t been enlightened is that if you bet often, you must have a gambling problem! This subject is explained more fully at:
http://www.stocktradingresources.com/articles.htm