I have managed 3 different large call centers.
I was first exposed to the practice in the first center and saw it as a “black” thing. I don’t know or remember the heritage or regional background of these folks at this remove, I just know at 30 years old, and living in several states, and visiting them all, I had never heard of this until that point.
Every call center I’ve worked at had the same phenomenon. Birthday boys and girls would pin a dollar on their shirt to start, and others would add to the pile.