TULALIP — When Wanda Sykes makes her return to the Tulalip Resort Casino Sept. 5-6, she’ll be doing a little gambling in addition to performing her shows, but she has one request for fans.

“Don’t be hugging on me if you’re wearing a tank top,” Sykes said. “I can’t deal with exposed armpits.”

Even in interviews, Sykes lives up to her stand-up comedy credo that “I’ll say what other people think, but that they don’t say or won’t say.”

Although Sykes has enjoyed a diverse career in the entertainment industry over the past three decades, including stints on television and in films as an Emmy-winning writer for Chris Rock, an actress and a voice artist, she always comes back to stand-up.

“Stand-up is my day job,” Sykes said. “When I do movies or TV shows, that’s more like I’m moonlighting. When I do stand-up, it feels like I’m going to work. The stage is where I feel funniest. If I ever stopped doing stand-up, I’d feel like I was out of work. I love the challenge of it. There’s nothing like a live audience.”

Sykes looks forward to returning to Tulalip, and described the surrounding area as “full of good people who like to have a lot of fun.”

While it’s her second visit to the area, she promised those who might have seen her at the casino a couple of years ago that she has plenty of new stuff to talk about.

“I just turned fifty, and my twins are five years old now, so there’s a lot that’s going on there,” Sykes said. “If you come to my show, just be ready to laugh. I’m not here to teach you anything or get up on a soapbox and preach at you. I just want us all to have a good time, and to make you pee your pants laughing.”

The doors open at 7 p.m. at the Orca Ballroom for both of Sykes’ 8 p.m. shows, and all attendees must be 21 or older, with ticket prices starting at $45.

For more information, log onto www.tulalipresortcasino.com/Entertainment/OrcaBallroom.