It's a strange topic to discuss. I am not at all interested in the opinions of outsiders, not only about gambling, but about any aspect of my own life that outsiders undertake to make judgments about. The tendency to gossip and condemn is very common. This is probably the subconscious desire of some people to find flaws in other people in order to justify their own vices. So I don't think you should worry about the opinions of outsiders. But the opinion of your loved ones is a completely different matter. That's what's important.
You are right mate, I am also of the same opinion as you. For a bit, I don't allow the gossip of people to have any impact on my decision or choice of lifestyle as far as I know that what am doing makes me happy and doesn't cause harm to anyone, I go on with it. Sometimes, people gossip and condemn other but still end up doing that same thing that them earlier condemn.
Well, it's still not bad to listen to advise, and sometimes, give attention to what people are saying to know what it actually is all about, and also evaluate yourself to be sure that what you are doing is right and doesn't actually hurt anyone including your own very self.
For let's bring the Bible here for a bit, proverbs said that there are at times, ways that seems to us, but the end thereof is destruction.
There are things we sometimes do that makes sense to us somehow, without we knowing that we are actually harming ourself, as well as those around us because, when we harm ourselves, we do not harm ourselves alone, but also our loved ones who look up to us.
A friend of mine gambled until he can no longer afford a good meal for this family without borrowing money, he was advised to stop gambling at least for a while and try to sort out bills, he refused saying that he wasn't doing any wrong, that he will eventually win big money from gambling and settle everyone he was owing, he was later arrested, the wife took the son and moved back to her family, this was a few years back, last year, I learnt she is already married to another man, while the dude who was ones my friend is still going around gambling.