roulette-like street gambling
Abbreviation of 伝助賭博. A historical street gambling game resembling roulette, now rare.
See also: 伝助賭博
It seems that 伝助 gambling was popular in the postwar black markets.
portable tape-recorder (used by reporters)
Colloquial term for a portable tape recorder, especially the kind used by newspaper reporters. Now largely historical.
Old-time newspaper reporters went to cover stories with a 伝助 slung over their shoulder.
deceptive street gambling; shell game; densuke
Standard kanji spelling for both senses.
Katakana spelling, common in colloquial use, especially for the tape-recorder sense.
The gambling sense is shortened from 伝助賭博. The recorder sense comes from デンスケ, the product name used by Sony for portable tape recorders favored by reporters.