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Sugarbook Looks to Open Office in New Zealand

Sugarbook is reportedly planning on opening an office in New Zealand after the popularity of sugar dating continues to grow in the country.

The platform claims to have over 10,000 members in New Zealand while SeekingArrangements’ numbers have risen to over 50,000.

There are always a lot of questions regarding the legality of sugar dating and Sugarbook CEO Darren Chan is constantly forced to defend his website. He told The NZ Herald: “There is nothing wrong about sugar dating and it is perfectly legal.

“We believe in providing the people a safe and honest platform to build sugar relationships – This could range from having polyamourous or monogamous relationships to financial assistance such as monthly allowances and paying tuition fees [or] luxury vacations.”

One of the reasons young women sign up to be ‘sugar babies’ is to pay off student debt. However, Immigration New Zealand has warned that international students might breach temporary visa conditions if they don’t declare gifts they receive in return for services.

Furthermore, certain government officials believe the promotion of such services might be in violation of the Prostitution Reform Act.

Asian Family Services deputy director Ivan Yeo said to The NZ Herald: “Young people in NZ already have enough problems, my request to Sugarbook is … please leave New Zealand alone.”

Sugarbook recently raised six figures in a seed round from an unnamed investor. Chan said he wanted to use the money to expand into new markets by the 2020.

Read more here.

Dominic Whitlock

Dominic is the Editor for Global Dating Insights. Originally from Devon, England he achieved a BA in English Language & Linguistics from The University of Reading. He enjoys a variety of sports and has a further passion for film and music.

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