Anyone who got a good price on an LE should put their distributor on their holiday card list.
No doubt they could have gotten full MSRP for these---eventually, at least.
Many people are remarking that distributors have told them that "stern sets the price now." Obviously we have some indications this is false.
Interestingly, it would be legal to do so (at least since a 2007 SCOTUS antitrust decision). The typical practice would be maintain a price floor beneath the MSRP (for marketing reasons). The reasons for adopting a strategy of retail price maintenance are complicated, but the pinball market actually has a few features that would make it seem like a good fit.