The Jackpot Main prospect is located on the ridge between Hidden and Porcupine creeks, 10 kilometres northeast of Salmo. See also Jackpot Creek (082FSW013), Jackpot West (082FSW255) and Jackpot Lerwick (082FSW256).

On the lower end of Active Creek the Eldorado claim (Lot 5198) and Carmencita claim (Lot 5201) were Crown-granted to R.C. Pollett in 1902-03. The adjacent Chihuahua claim (Lot 5199) was Crown-granted to G.W. McBride in 1904. An adit was driven in the west bank of Active creek, on the Eldorado claim, in 1900.

At higher elevations, about 1.2 kilometres to the southwest on Jack Pot hill, the Santiago claim (Lot 5381) was Crown-granted to F.D. Le Mieux in 1902. The adjacent Big H, Highland Chief, Snowflake, Lerwick and Hercules claims (Lots 5619-5623 respectively) were Crown-granted to The British Lion Mining and Milling Company, Limited Liability in 1902-03. Exploration was done in open cuts, a 55-metre adit on the Big 4 claim, and a shaft on the Lerwick claim. The mineralization proved to be mainly zinc, which was of little interest at that time. The Crown-grants were subsequently cancelled.

The Jack Pot (Jackpot) group of 11 claims was staked in July 1948 by E.P. Haukedahl and E.H. and S.W. Barclay, of Ymir. The claims covered the ground between the two groups of Crown-grants, as well as some of the cancelled Crown-grants. The West zone showings were probably a re-staking of the Highland Chief claim. The Lerwick zone was restaked as the Ink Spot claim, and the East zone was staked as the Two Spot claim.

Late in 1948, New Jersey Zinc Explorations Limited optioned the claims. A road was built to the showings in 1949 and geological and geophysical surveys, trenching and bulldozer stripping were carried out. Diamond drilling on the Main zone, originally held as the Big 4 claim, was done in 21 holes totalling 2078 metres. Diamond drilling on the East zone, began in 1950 and continued into 1951. An adit at 1334 metres elevation (4400 adit) on the west side of Spot Creek, a tributary of Active Creek, was driven southwesterly for 305 metres to the East zone in 1951 and underground diamond drilling was in progress at year end. In 1952, assessment work was done in one diamond drill hole totalling 270 metres. During 1953-54 the 4400 adit was extended to a total length of 924 metres. A second adit (4100 adit), 90 metres in elevation below the 4400 adit, was driven as two headings, one north for 264 metres and the other south for 834 metres. Diamond drilling in 4 holes totalling 395 metres was done from the adits in 1954. The 4400 adit encountered zinc-lead mineralization at intervals but the 4100 adit did not encounter the mineralized zone.

New Jersey Zinc Explorations Limited surrendered its charter in 1954 and the property was transferred to New Jersey Zinc Exploration Company (Canada) Ltd. Further diamond drilling during 1966-68 was done in 4 holes totalling 536 metres on the Ink Spot and Spot No. 3 Fr. claims.

Cominco Ltd. optioned the property in 1973 and during 1973-74 carried out surface and underground geological mapping, and 640 metres of surface diamond drilling in 6 holes on the Two Spot claim. During 1975-77 Cominco carried out 4178 metres of surface and underground diamond drilling in 83 holes on the Two Spot and Canadian Girl claims. Reserves were reported at about 3,000,000 tonnes of 5 per cent combined zinc-lead mineralization (Northern Miner 05/03/81).

Tri Basin Resources Ltd in 1981 optioned a 50 per cent joint venture interest in 6 Crown-grants and 27 recorded claims (132 units) and began a program of geophysics and diamond drilling. Work in 1982 on the Jackpot, and on the Hunter V-Double Standard property (082FSW014, 015) adjoining to the west, included geochemical soil, biogeochemical, induced potential and magnetometer surveys and 1337 metres of diamond drilling in 12 holes. Work in 1983 included 1733 metres of diamond drilling in 23 holes in the vicinity of the Hunter V-Double Standard. By the end of 1983 Tri Basin had earned its 50 per cent joint venture interest with New Jersey Zinc (a wholly owned subsidiary of Gulf and Western Industries Inc). Based on work to date the mineralization is reported as: drill indicated 943,250 tonnes grading 4.68 per cent combined lead-zinc; and drill inferred and speculated - 2,928,400 tonnes, no grade stated (Tri Basin Resources Ltd. Filing Statement 148/84).

A further regional potential of approximately 2,225,000 tons is reported by New Jersey Zinc.

The Jackpot orebodies are currently thought to be Kootenay Arc-type carbonate hosted sedimentary exhalative (Sedex) deposits. The orebodies are located within dolomitized limestone of the Lower Cambrian Laib Formation, Reeves Member (correlative with limestone of the Badshot Formation).

In the occurrence area, the host Reeves member is complexly folded and faulted and close to the north margin of the Hidden Creek stock of the Middle to Late Jurassic Nelson Intrusions. The dolomite strikes about 290 degrees with a south dip and is bounded to the north by quartzites of the Lower Navada Member of the Quartzite Range Formation. The contact is concordant but interpreted as a bedding plane fault. The mineralized dolomite zones vary in thickness from 1.5 to 15 metres wide, alternate with similar zones of limestone and locally contain small, irregular masses of yellowish green serpentine.

The mineralized zones on the Jackpot claims are called the East (082FSW013), Lerwick (082FSW256), Main and West (082FSW013) zones. The East zone is exposed between elevations 1310 to 1554 metres on the steep slope west of Spot Creek. The Lerwick zone is exposed about 610 metres to the southwest between elevations 1707 and 1769 metres on the same slope. The Main zone is on the steep north facing slope of the hill about 460 metres northwest of Lerwick. The West zone is 305 metres southwest of the Main zone. These four zones of sulphide mineralization contain predominantly sphalerite with pyrite and very minor galena. Mineralization is restricted to zones of dolomite in Reeves limestone, although locally sulphide minerals occur in calcite within the dolomite zones.

Mineralization in the Main zone consists of sphalerite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and minor galena in serpentinized dolomite. The sulphides appear to follow the banding in the dolomite, which dips gently south but is locally steep and complexly folded. The mineralized zone plunges south at about 205 degrees at a low angle, parallel to the plunge of complex minor folds seen on surface. Individual mineralized zones are not extensive laterally but may contain in the order of 4 to 9 per cent zinc and minor lead. Recent reports indicate minor cadmium content in the ore. The mineralized dolomite also contains tremolite and diopside locally, and some scheelite may be present in skarn near the granite contacts. The occurrence has had extensive exploration work carried out but no significant production has been documented.

Tombstone Explorations Co. Ltd. acquired the Jackpot property from New Jersey Zinc Explorations Company (Canada) Ltd. in 1997.