Comparing dating with punting is futile. It's a quandary. If you just want the sex, and no personal connection, then punt. Remember, you're not just paying for the sex. You're paying to walk away afterwards with no further commitment.
I've been married for a good part of my adult life (three times..... yeah, I know...) but still have this need to fool around. The sweet spot would be finding someone I could do all the wild shit with, but who'd disappear, or I could walk away from, until the next time. The paid-for experience covers that well.
But I'm an old-fashioned guy. I like to have a drink first. Bit of flirting. Some anticipation. And a feeling of connection, however short-term and shallow that might be.
So is the solution one of those dating sites for married people? Tried it. Hugely expensive. Full of bonkers, flaky women, most of whom are not as advertised.
And punting? The same, of course, when it comes down to it. Unless you find a real good 'un. And in an intermittent punting 'career' of thirty years, I've found four good 'uns. Which is about the same number of really great mistresses I've known, and had, in the same time.
The quandary continues.